By: Yusif Kamara
Ibrahim Morray, a young petty trader from Bo, Sierra Leone, now faces a life in hiding after a harrowing ordeal with the country’s justice system.
According to Morray’s close friend, Septemus Komba, on August 10, 2022, Morray traveled to Freetown to purchase supplies for his small phone accessories business. That day, nationwide protests erupted. Caught in the chaos, he was unable to return home and was subsequently arrested and detained at Pademba Road Prison without legal representation.
For over one year, Morray endured harsh prison conditions, denied the opportunity to defend himself in court. On November 26, 2023, amid a prison break at Pademba Road Correctional Centre during the attempted coup, Morray managed to escape. Authorities immediately declared all escapees wanted. While some were killed during the escape and others recaptured, Morray fled to an unknown location, fearing arrest, persecution, or death if he were found.
Sources close to Morray revealed that security officials raided his family house at 5 Francis Lavalie Street, Kebie Town section in Bo, subjecting his relatives to harassment and intimidation in their search for him. His family continues to live in fear, and reports indicate that his mother has abandoned the house and gone into hiding. No one is certain whether Morray survived the prison break or was killed.
Once a hopeful entrepreneur, Morray now remains a fugitive, forced to live in secrecy, while his family endures constant fear and uncertainty.