A storm of concern is rising across Sierra Leone’s civil society and women’s rights circles over the continued detention of 20-year-old Edwina Jamiru, as voices both at home and beyond call for her immediate release and justice reform.
Jamiru, a law student at Fourah Bay College, has been held by police on charges related to cyber-offences, including alleged “stalking” and “harassment,” according to official statements from the Sierra Leone Police Force.
Rights activists begin rallying over her arrest, expressing that her arrest has raised greater concerns for them since it symbolizes more than just an application of law in this case. Rather, they point out it has become yet another incidence that forms a worrying context of public outrage and judicial struggle over allegations she forwarded against an authority judicial official that shook the entire judicial system since late last year of 2024.
The events unfolded in December 2024 when Jamiru accused Honourable Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens, a senior judge in the Court of Appeal of Sierra Leone, of having a romantic involvement with her when she was a law student.
In widely circulated postings and videos, she alleged that the relationship resulted in pregnancy and that Stevens, a prominent legal figure, failed to take responsibility. Her message resonated with many Sierra Leoneans, sparking debate over power dynamics, accountability, and the protection of women within powerful institutions.
In turn, Stevens filed a legal claim under the Domestic Violence Act against Jamiru pertaining to some unrelated incident this past August of 2025. It is on the back of this legal counter-claim that Jamiru first got arrested via bench warrant.
On December 14, 2025, African Women’s R.I.S.E., a civil society network focused on women’s rights and empowerment, released a statement demanding Jamiru’s “immediate and unconditional release.” The group labelled her continued detention a “grave miscarriage of justice,” warning that it sets a dangerous precedent for women and girls who speak out against powerful figures.
The statement highlighted serious public concern over Justice Stevens’s influence within law enforcement and the length of Jamiru’s detention. It called for independent oversight into those involved in her arrest, enforcement of existing child support orders, and strengthened protections for survivors and whistle-blowers. It also urged accountability from the Office of the First Lady regarding the Hands Off Our Girls initiative a programme intended to protect young women that Jamiru herself referenced in her public advocacy.
African Women’s R.I.S.E. described Edwina Jamiru’s situation as a case of “double victimisation,” where she was first harmed and then penalised for speaking out. The organization further pointed out that concerns about Jamiru’s state of mental and emotional well-being in detention call for urgent action to avert further harm.
It has turned the case of Jamiru into a metaphor for broader questions of justice in Sierra Leone. Critics argue that it shows how those without powerful backers can be marginalized or silenced, even as fair-minded institutions come under attack.
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Beyond the finer details of legality, many see this as an assault on the principles of openness and equal justice. The case is now more about the fate of one man, but rather a litmus test of Sierra Leone’s justice system and wider society, with rights groups rallying behind Jamiru’s freedom and demanding accountability at the very highest levels.
As African Women’s R.I.S.E. put it, “We stand with Edwina Jamiru. We demand her freedom. And we will continue to speak until justice is done.”
