Concern for Clergy in Sierra Leone as Second Catholic Priest Narrowly Escapes Death in Armed Robbery

The Catholic Church leaders highlight Kenema Diocese that has suffered violent attacks in the recent past, including the murder of a Priest last August and the physical injuries inflicted on another on January 27.

In the latest incident, Fr. James Joshua Jamiru who serves at Mary’s Parish of Kenema Diocese narrowly escaped death after a violent attack by a known armed robber at his residence in Pendembu, Kailahun District.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 12:13 p.m. on 27 January 2026, when Sierra Leonean police received a distress call from the victim who said that he had been attacked and assaulted by an intruder at the Rectory. 

Police said Fr. Jamiru sustained injuries to his right thumb, two index fingers, his head and both knees during the attack. At the time of the incident, he was reportedly alone in the Rectory, as his housekeeper had left for school and had locked the main entrance.

Police said the Priest, fearing for his life, ran to retrieve a cutlass he had kept in the house for self-defence. A struggle followed between the two men. During the confrontation, Fr. Jamiru is said to have managed to overpower the attacker, inflicting a cut on his forehead. The suspect then fled the scene before police arrived in response to the distress call.

More in Africa

Concern for Clergy in Sierra Leone as Second Catholic Priest Narrowly Escapes Death in Armed Robbery

Read the article

Ansu Bockarie, the assailant, was later identified and arrested, police said, based on the injury on his forehead.

In their statement, Sierra Leone’s Catholic Bishops also highlighted the case of Fr. Augustine Amadu who was reportedly murdered on August 30 while he was preparing to take on a new mission in Kinema Diocese. 

Fr. Amadu who served at Immaculate Conception Parish of Kinema Diocese was preparing for his Sunday, August 31 farewell Mass when suspected robbers ended his life.

The Catholic Bishops said that it is not the first they are decrying the woes of Catholic Priests in the West African country. They lamented that the violent attacks were creating fear among the people.

“The Church had in the past issued urgent calls for peace and security. We again renew our call for the same, following a series of brutal attacks on our personnel and properties, creating a climate of fear among our people,” the Church leaders in Sierra Leone said. 

In the six months between the two major attacks, the looting of Catholic properties has also been on the rise, they lamented, and explained that the attacks are part of a wider “chain of successive incidents” including theft and the looting of various Church facilities around the country. 

Expressing solidarity with all the victims of the violent attacks and looting that sometimes targeted lay people, the Catholic Church leaders said, “We, the Bishops, express our unwavering solidarity with the Priests, Religious and Lay Faithful who  have been traumatized by armed robberies, invasion of their residences and the systematic looting of  mission properties intended for the service of the poor and needy.”

They warned that the continued failure to provide security risks the rise of vigilantism.

“Enough is enough,” they asserted, and demanded that the Sierra Leonean government fulfils its primary duty to protect the lives and properties of all citizens.

They called on law enforcement agencies in the country to “move beyond statements of sympathy” to concrete deterrents.

(Story continues below)

The Catholic Bishops also called on authorities in the country to expedite the trials of those suspected in the murder of Fr. Amadu and the violent attack on Fr. Jamiru, a move they said would signal that violence against the Church carries heavy consequences. 

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.