Samuel Koroma, a resident of Hanga Road in Sierra Leone’s eastern district of Kenema, was allegedly beaten yesterday 26 October 2020 to the point of death by a mob of irate youths who accused him of engaging in sexual intercourse with one Ibrahim Cole who is reported to be currently in hiding or may have already fled the country fearing that if caught he might be beaten to death.
According to reliable sources, Samuel Koroma was reportedly caught with Ibrahim Cole in his father’s compound, by one of his fervent Muslim uncles, allegedly having sex. It is claimed that it was his uncle, who regarded the act as “un-Islamic”, who alerted the mob which later attacked the couple.
But luckily for Ibrahim Cole, he was able to jump over a fence and escaped from the angry mob. Despite his escape, Cole’s house was reportedly burnt down and the mob threatened to “deal with him” whenever he was found.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Sierra Leone face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT citizens. Male same-sex sexual activity, whether in public or private, is illegal in Sierra Leone and carries a possible penalty of life imprisonment with hard labour.
The few Sierra Leoneans who admitted knowing someone they believed to be homosexual said that in no case would anyone openly admit it, and if they did, they would be shunned by their families and friends and possibly threatened by community members.
In 2004, Fannyann Eddy was murdered. She was the founder of the first LGBT rights organization in Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association. According to initial reports, several men brutally raped and murdered her at her office. Many human rights activists believed that she was targeted for being gay and because of her work on behalf of women and the LGBT community.
In the case of Ibrahim Cole, he might still be in hiding or might have fled to neighbouring Liberia fearing that if seen he might be beaten mercilessly like Samuel Koroma who, unconfirmed reports say, has also fled Sierra Leone fearing for his life.