By Elizabeth Kamara
Emma Morlia Sesay, a 19-year-old unemployed woman, has been remanded at the Female Correctional Centre by Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 for allegedly kidnapping a new-born baby boy.
The incident, which occurred on November 13, 2024, in the Fort Street area of Freetown, involves the abduction of one-week-and-five-day-old Mustapha Sesay without his parents’ consent.
Sesay faces charges under Section 56 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, which deals with child abduction.
During the court proceedings, Prosecutor Sergeant 8811 Florence M. Wilson presented the second prosecution witness, Martha Sesay, the mother of the abducted child and a businesswoman who identified the accused as her neighbor.
Martha Sesay recounted that on the day of the incident, the accused visited her, expressing joy over the birth of her baby. The accused took the baby, claiming she wanted to play with him. She later suggested that Martha accompany her to visit her aunt on Fort Street. Upon arriving at Fort Street, the accused led Martha to her boyfriend’s room.
Martha stated that while she was there with her sister Patricia, the accused brought the baby back briefly for breastfeeding but took him away again shortly after. When it was time to breastfeed the baby again, the accused was nowhere to be found. A frantic search in the surrounding area yielded no results.
Later that night, Martha received a call from the Rogbaneh Police Station in Makeni, informing her that the accused had been arrested with the child. The following day, she travelled to Makeni, identified herself as the baby’s mother, and provided a statement to the police. The baby was then returned to her custody.
During cross-examination, Defense Counsel A.N.D. Musa renewed a bail application for the accused, but Magistrate Bangura denied the request due to the seriousness of the offense. The accused was remanded, and the matter was adjourned to February 19, 2025, for further hearings.
