Local News

By Saidu Jalloh, Reporter D.SHONG KONG, 21 April 2026 Hong Kong authorities have charged a 36-year-old woman from Sierra Leone with drug trafficking after customs officers found an estimated 3 kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden in her luggage at Hong Kong International Airport. The seizure was made on 13 April during a routine inspection by…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter D.SWASHINGTON, D.C., 21 April 2026 The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has praised Sierra Leone’s implementation of its Compact program, describing the country’s performance as a “success story” during high-level talks in Washington. Acting Managing Director of the Department of Compact Operations, Carrie Monahan, told the meeting she was satisfied with key…

By Saidu Jalloh, Daily ScopePujehun, April 20, 2026 The Government of Sierra Leone will commission the Bandajuma-Pujehun road this weekend, ending more than two decades of delays on a key southern corridor. Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh said the 25.24-kilometre project became an immediate priority after his swearing-in, following a direct instruction from President Julius…

By Joseph Momoh, Daily ScopeFreetown, April 18, 2026 Foreign nationals working without valid permits in Sierra Leone and the businesses that hire them now face a $5,000 fine as the government ends its immigration grace period and moves to full enforcement. Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Mohamed Rahman Swaray announced the directive on…

By Saidu Jalloh, Daily ScopeFreetown, April 19, 2026 Members of the Economic Community of West African States have called on all member states to outlaw Female Genital Mutilation, warning that the practice fuels child exploitation and migration across the region. The appeal came during a joint committee meeting in Freetown under the theme “Parliamentary approaches…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily ScopeFreetown, April 19, 2026 More than 1.25 million tons of sand are extracted annually from the Freetown Peninsula and Lungi corridor, driving shoreline retreat and threatening tourism, ecosystems, and coastal infrastructure, World Bank findings show. Presenting an assessment of sand mining in selected tourism and coastal communities, Urban Research Centre Director…

By Joseph Momoh, Daily ScopeDaru, April 20, 2026 Residents of Daru are urging authorities to increase police patrols and install street lighting after a reported rise in nighttime harassment that has heightened fear across the township. In a formal appeal sent to this paper, resident Mustapha Abdul Aruna said locals have been targeted and pursued…

By Saidu Jalloh, Daily ScopeMakeni, April 19, 2026 HIV accounts for one in five adult deaths in Sierra Leone, a new report shows, with most victims either undiagnosed or not on treatment, exposing critical gaps in the national response. The findings were presented by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance programme at its 10th…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Freetown, April 19, 2026 The government and the United Nations World Food Programme have launched the WFP Country Strategic Plan 2026–2030, shifting the focus from emergency aid to long-term food system reform, nutrition, and resilience. Unveiled in Freetown before senior government officials, UN agency heads, development partners, and civil society,…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Freetown, April 19, 2026 The Freetown City Council has warned of a fraudulent registration scheme targeting market women in the capital, with impostors demanding payment to enroll them in the Heat Index Insurance Project. In a statement issued Saturday, the council said it received multiple reports of individuals moving through…