On February 10, 2026, Edwina Hawa Jamiru, a law student at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, was detained at the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigative Department in Freetown, and released on February 17, 2026. This is according to a statement by AdvocAid Sierra Leone which announced that it had successfully secured bail for her following her one-week detention in relation to alleged cybercrime investigations.
Her arrest and detention was not publicly known until AdvocAid released a statement about her release. Her detention is alleged to be linked to her remarks in a video response to comments attributed to the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone during the First Lady’s recent interview on AYV Media Empire.
At the time of publishing, law enforcement authorities have not provided a public statement explaining the reasons for Jamiru’s detention, the specific allegations against her, or whether she was formally charged in court. Assistant Commissioner of Police Brima Kamara confirmed Jamiru’s arrest during an interview on Liberty Online TV but refused to disclose the identity of the complainant, stating that such disclosure might prejudice the case.
The case has renewed longstanding scrutiny of Sierra Leone’s Cyber Security and Crime Act, with rights groups warning that certain elements of the legislation could be misapplied to restrict legitimate expression.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned over the circumstances of Jamiru’s detention and its implications for freedom of expression and civil liberties in Sierra Leone. While the state has a duty to investigate credible allegations of cyber-related offences, such actions must comply strictly with constitutional safeguards and international human rights standards.
MFWA calls on the Sierra Leone Police to clarify the legal basis for the arrest, indicate whether formal charges were filed within the required timeframe, and confirm that due process guarantees were respected. The Foundation further urges authorities to ensure that the Cyber Security and Crime Act is not applied in a manner that unduly restricts legitimate criticism or public-interest expression, and encourages a review of any provisions that may be overly broad or susceptible to misuse.
