Prosecution Seeks 70-Year Sentence for Grandfather
By: Alimatu Kargbo
Prosecution seeks 70-year sentence for grandfather who disabled grandson after Abubakarr Jalloh pleaded guilty to one of two charges preferred against him before Justice Simeon Allieu of the High Court, arising from allegations that he inflicted severe injuries on a child, resulting in the amputation of both forearms.
The accused was arraigned on a two-count indictment of Causing Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent to Disable, contrary to Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and Child Torture, contrary to Section 19 of the Child Rights Act 2025.
According to the particulars of offence, on 12 February 2026, Jalloh allegedly inflicted severe injuries on the hands of Mustapha Kanu, causing grievous bodily harm with the intention of disabling him. The prosecution further alleged that on the same date, the accused subjected the child to physical violence which resulted in the amputation of both his forearms.
When the charges were read and explained to him in court, Jalloh pleaded guilty to Count One, which relates to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to disable. However, he pleaded not guilty to Count Two, the charge of child torture.
State Prosecutor, Yousif Isaac Sesay, informed the court that the prosecution would no longer proceed with Count Two, noting that the State did not wish to expend further resources on the charge, since the accused had already become a convict after pleading guilty to Count One.
Justice Simeon Allieu stated that since the prosecution had elected not to call any witnesses on Count Two, the accused was accordingly discharged on that count.
Leading the facts, Prosecutor Sesay told the court that the accused is the father of Hassanatu Jalloh, who is married to Alimamy Kanu. The couple have three children, including the victim, baby Mustapha Kanu, who is their second child.
According to the prosecutor, sometime last year the accused contacted his daughter, who was residing in the provinces, and requested that she come to Freetown to oversee a piece of land at IMATT. He also asked her to bring along her three children, because he had not seen them for a long time.
After arriving in Freetown, Hassanatu initially stayed with her father at Susex Village. A short time later, the accused instructed her to move to IMATT, but requested that she leave baby Mustapha Kanu in his care while taking the other two children with her. She complied.
Sesay said that throughout the seven months Mustapha stayed with the accused, he was never enrolled in school. The accused lived at sesex Village with his wife, Kadijatu Kamara, and a boy named Mohamed, who attended school.
The prosecutor said that on 12 February 2026, while the accused’s wife had gone out to conduct her business and Mohamed was preparing for school, the accused sent Mohamed and Mustapha to a charging centre with a mobile phone and charger. After the charger was returned from the centre, Mohamed handed it to Mustapha to take back home.
Mustapha later returned home, but the accused claimed that he had taken too long and decided to punish him.
According to Sesay, the accused used pieces of tyre rubber to tie Mustapha’s hands separately to a stick in a crucifix-like position. He then locked the child inside a room and repeatedly applied hot water and pepper to his hands throughout the day. The child was allegedly deprived of both food and water.
While enduring the punishment, Mustapha repeatedly cried out to his grandfather that he was in pain, but his pleas were ignored.
When Mohamed returned from school later that afternoon, he found Mustapha lying on the ground with his hands still tied. Upon asking what had happened, Mustapha allegedly told him that his grandfather had tied him up and poured hot water and pepper on his hands. Mohamed wanted to untie him, but said he was afraid of his father. Even when Mustapha begged for water, Mohamed refused because of that fear.
The child remained without food or water until the accused’s wife returned home that evening. Shocked and moved to tears by what she saw, she confronted her husband. The accused reportedly told her that the child had a habit of absconding from home.
Kadijatu Kamara then gave the accused NLe300 to take Mustapha to the hospital, but he allegedly refused and instead applied ointment to the injuries while keeping the money.
Sesay further informed the court that on 14 February 2026, the accused contacted a neighbour, Sallamatu Koroma, and informed her that his grandson had sustained burns. Koroma accompanied the accused and the child to a clinic at Susex Village, where they were referred to the Emergency Hospital.
At the hospital, Mustapha was admitted for treatment. During proceedings, the prosecutor presented photographs showing the child’s condition while receiving treatment.
The hospital’s matron, Nurse Bintu Jawara, immediately alerted officers at the Adonkia Police Station. Police responded promptly and arrested the accused.
When Mustapha’s mother later saw her son’s condition, she broke down in tears and called her husband, who was still in the provinces. Upon arriving in Freetown and seeing his son’s injuries, he too became emotional.
Sesay further stated that before the incident, Alimamy Kanu had visited his wife at IMATT and requested to see his son. However, the accused only showed him photographs of the child and assured him that he was doing well.
Medical doctors at the Emergency Hospital later informed the parents that the only way to save the child was to amputate both hands. Unable to bear the thought, the parents refused to sign the consent forms. They later sought treatment at Connaught Hospital, where they were again advised that amputation was necessary. They refused and left for the provinces in search of alternative treatment.
The prosecutor said that a relative who is the brother of the defendant, Gebrilla Jalloh, then undertook responsibility for the child’s care and claimed to know a doctor in Bo who would provide treatment. However, according to Sesay, the child did not receive proper medical attention, causing the flesh on his hands to deteriorate and eventually fall away from the bones.
When Hassanatu informed her husband about the worsening condition, Alimamy reportedly confronted Gibrilla Jalloh, insisting that this was not what had been agreed upon.
Mustapha was eventually returned to Freetown for further treatment. Although medical care resumed, he was left permanently disabled and without the use of both forearms.
Sesay further told the court that the accused admitted responsibility and repeatedly pleaded for the matter not to proceed before the court.
The prosecutor submitted that the offence carries a sentence of life imprisonment. Referring to Section 2(2) of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2022, he noted that where life imprisonment is imposed, the custodial term should not be less than 30 years. He urged the court to impose a sentence of 70 years, citing the aggravating circumstances of the case.
According to Sesay, baby Mustapha was disabled by the very person entrusted with his care and protection. He argued that the court must send a strong message that society has a duty to protect vulnerable persons placed in its care.
The prosecutor also informed the court that when he spoke with Mustapha earlier that morning, the child repeated the same words he had uttered during the ordeal, telling his grandfather that he was in pain.
Justice Allieu noted that he had given the accused the opportunity to secure legal representation but that he had failed to do so. The judge stated that this would not prevent the court from proceeding with the matter.
