By: Usman Fambuleh
The Government of Sierra Leone has once again demonstrated a disturbing level of negligence and insensitivity toward its citizens by abandoning a dead body in front of Connaught Hospital along Lightfoot Boston Street.
Since Friday, 30th January 2026, a corpse has reportedly been lying openly in front of the country’s foremost referral hospital, yet no responsible government authority has taken action to remove it. This shameful situation is unfolding just a ten-minute walk from the Office of the President, raising serious questions about the government’s commitment to public health, dignity, and basic governance.
Connaught Hospital is a major medical facility meant to save lives, not a dumping ground for dead bodies. Allowing a corpse to remain exposed in such a public place is not only inhumane but also a serious public health risk. The unbearable stench from the decomposing body has affected pedestrians, patients, traders, and residents who use that route daily. People doing business in the area say their health and livelihoods are now at risk.
According to eyewitnesses, several government institutions legally responsible for environmental sanitation, public health, and emergency response are fully aware of the situation. Yet days have passed without any intervention. This silence and inaction reflect a clear failure of duty by the government and its agencies.
How does a government that claims to be attracting investors tolerate such disgrace in the heart of its capital city? What message does this send to tourists, diplomats, and development partners when a dead body can lie unattended in a strategic area without urgency or accountability?
This incident goes beyond negligence; it is a moral failure. It shows how little value is placed on human life even in death and how disconnected those in authority are from the daily suffering of ordinary citizens.
The government has a constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure a clean, healthy, and safe environment for its people. Failing to act in this situation is an embarrassment to the nation and a betrayal of public trust.
We strongly call on the Government of Sierra Leone to act immediately, remove the corpse, sanitise the area, and explain why such a grave failure occurred. Anything short of swift action will only confirm what many citizens already believe that the government has failed in its basic duty to protect the dignity, health, and welfare of its people.
Enough of the silence.
Enough of the neglect.
The government must act now.
