Attorney General Alpha Sesay should call for an investigation into Pastor Mambu’s claims

ATTORNEY-GENERAL ALPHA SESAY SHOULD CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO PASTOR MAMBU’S CLAIMS

By Haroun Zubairu

The controversy surrounding Pastor Francis Mambu should no longer remain simply a debate between Christians, traditionalists, secret-society members, and people on social media.

The allegations attributed to Pastor Mambu are too serious.

When a prominent religious leader publicly speaks about alleged practices involving human blood, human remains, dead bodies, disappearances, and initiation rituals, Sierra Leone should not simply argue about whether people believe him.

The State should determine whether there is evidence behind those claims.

That is why I believe Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay should call for the appropriate authorities to formally examine Pastor Mambu’s allegations. Alpha Sesay currently serves as Sierra Leone’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

I am not calling for Pastor Mambu to be arrested because he expressed an opinion. I am not calling for the government to silence a pastor. And I am certainly not saying that his allegations are automatically false.

I am saying something much simpler:

Ask him what evidence he has.

Pastor Mambu should be invited to provide whatever information forms the basis of these extraordinary allegations.

Who allegedly died?

Who allegedly disappeared?

Where did these incidents happen?

When did they happen?

Who witnessed them?

Were police reports made?

Are there families willing to identify missing relatives?

Are there former initiates prepared to give statements?

Is there any physical, medical, forensic, or documentary evidence?

These are questions for investigators—not Facebook commentators.

The Attorney-General has an important constitutional role in Sierra Leone’s criminal-justice system. Section 64 of the 1991 Constitution makes the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice the Government’s principal legal adviser, while Section 66 gives the Director of Public Prosecutions authority over criminal proceedings and provides that the DPP is subject to the Attorney-General’s general or special direction.

So I am calling on Attorney-General Alpha Sesay to ensure that these allegations are referred to the appropriate investigative and prosecutorial authorities for proper examination.

This should not be political.

It should not be religious.

It should not be about whether someone supports Pastor Mambu or supports traditional societies.

It should be about truth and the law.

If Pastor Mambu possesses credible evidence suggesting that people have been killed, disappeared, abused, or that human remains have been unlawfully handled, then Sierra Leone has a duty to investigate.

And if witnesses exist, protect them and interview them.

If alleged victims exist, identify them.

If records exist, examine them.

If crimes have occurred, prosecute those responsible according to law.

But if, after a fair and independent examination, there is no evidence capable of substantiating these extraordinary allegations, the public also deserves to know that.

This is precisely why an investigation matters.

We cannot have one standard of evidence for ordinary Sierra Leoneans and another standard for influential religious leaders.

Being a pastor does not make an allegation automatically true.

Being a traditionalist does not make an allegation automatically false.

Evidence must decide the matter.

Attorney-General Alpha Sesay, this issue has moved beyond another sermon and another Facebook argument.

Let the proper authorities ask the questions.

Let Pastor Mambu present what he knows.

Let witnesses come forward.

Let the evidence be examined.

And let Sierra Leone know the truth.

PASTOR MAMBU HAS MADE THE CLAIMS. NOW THE STATE SHOULD EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE.