NDMA Visits Excavation Site at Leicester Peak, Orders Immediate Stop Work.

As part of its hazard identification and mitigation interventions, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) visited the hillside of the Leicester Peak community following a report of ongoing excavation activities. The report was made by a sitting Member of Parliament who resides in the community at Haja Mattia Drive.

The vulnerability assessment was jointly conducted by the NDMA and the Sierra Leone Police. Findings from the visit revealed serious excavation activities on two adjacent plots of land right at the hill top owned by one Fatmata Jalloh, who was not present at the site. The excavation, which has removed and exposed large boulders, poses significant risks to residents living downhill and increases the threat of slope collapse, especially during the rainy season.

The team halted the excavation work and the construction engineer, Babatunde Samuel Kamara, along with the site operator and one Ibrahim Jah, brother of the landowner, were arrested and are currently in police custody pending further investigations.

The team also visited Rockville Drive, where similar excavation work was ongoing, NDMA’s Director of Regional Coordination, Paul Thomas, issued a stern warning to Ibrahim Sesay, the site’s caretaker and only person present at the time. He ordered an immediate cessation of all excavation or construction activities, stressing that any continued violation of the order would attract serious legal consequences.

Abu Bakar Bangura, NDMA’s Director of Research, Monitoring & Evaluation, while engaging contractors on-site, stated that Leicester Peak is not only a protected area but also plays a vital ecological role for the Western Area. He noted that any activity compromising its integrity poses grave threats to surrounding neighborhoods and critical public infrastructure downslope.

Also addressing the issue was Gerald King, NDMA’s Western Area Coordinator, who emphasized on the dangers of excavating mud and boulders on hilltops. He explained that such actions undermine the structural integrity of the hill and triggers gradual erosion, and expose downslope communities to serious risks. He sternly warned the workers never to return to the site.

The team also conducted similar assessment at Southridge Hills, close to the United States Embassy and gave similar instructions.

The NDMA will continue to collaborate with relevant institutions and community stakeholders to identify and mitigate disaster risks across the country.

The public is urged to report any construction activities that pose potential threats to community safety by calling the NDMA’s toll-free emergency line: 1199, to help safeguard lives and property.

For More Inquiries:

Directorate of Communications

Contact: Toll free line: 1199 on all networks

Email: mohamedlbah@ndma.gov.sl

www.ndma.gov.sl