Fresh questions are emerging around leadership practices within the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), following revelations that several senior officers due for retirement have remained in post. Under the tenure of Inspector General Sellu, the SLP now appears to be an outlier among state security institutions, with five high-ranking officers reportedly past their retirement timelines: DIG Sahr Yomba Senessie; AIG Francis Moses Tawa, Director of Professional Standards; AIG Manfread Williams, Regional Commander North East; AIG Andrew Mustapha Kamara, Regional Commander South (Bo); and AIG Joseph Lahai, Regional Commander North West.
Sources within the force say the delays have created uncertainty across the command structure, raising concerns about succession planning and institutional morale. Unlike the military and other security services, the SLP is also grappling with acute mobility challenges—an issue critics trace to a policy approved by a previous parliament that allowed retiring Assistant Inspectors General to assume ownership of official police vehicles. The long-term effect, observers argue, has been a steady depletion of operational assets. Adding to the controversy are reports that the Inspector General’s spouse has access to two official police vehicles, a claim that has intensified public scrutiny.
Meanwhile, internal postings have drawn quiet attention. M.K. Alieu has been transferred to Lungi Airport as Local Unit Commander, while former LUC CSP Cecelia Akibo Cole was reassigned to head the Communications Unit—widely viewed as a dormant department—prompting questions about the rationale behind the move.
Contrary to circulating reports, there were no recent promotions. Instead, salary upgrades were processed by the Human Resources Accounts Unit in line with policies affecting legally qualified officers—specifically recent law school graduates. As calls grow for clarity, civil society groups are urging the police leadership to address retirement compliance, asset management, and transparency to restore confidence in the institution.
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