US citizen missing for 100 days in Sierra Leone – Massah Kaikai

Massah Kaikai has not been seen or heard from for 100 days. She went missing sometime between 4 – 8 August 2018. Massah’s mother, Ayodeji Babalola (nee Ademu-John), her sisters in the U.S., her father, Ansumana Jaia Kaikai, her business colleagues and friends have been trying frantically to find Massah. The investigative trail has uncovered twists and turns but Massah is yet to be found. 

Ayo, Massah’s mother, said, “This is a very serious security and safety issue for Sierra Leone. A young woman, diligently giving back to her country and promoting development, suddenly cannot be located. And, no efficient efforts are being made after three months… The safety and security of all individuals coming into to Sierra Leone for work, tourism, development, investment and other matters should be a top priority.”

Massah Kaikai (left) with international partners

Massah is a 40-year old American citizen born of Sierra Leonean parents. She lived on Lower Pipeline Road, off Wilkinson Road and had a training workshop on a family property on Manfred Lane, off Kissy Road in the east of Freetown.

Kaikai returned to Sierra Leone in 2014 to work on development projects with women, the disabled community and children. She set up a small business and made connections with giant American retailers, local NGOs, government ministries such as Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Trade and funders.

The Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jaia Kaikai, said there was no record of Massah leaving Sierra Leone on any flight or across any overland border. Interpol has been notified and airports and borders around the world are keeping an eye out for her passport, which is also missing along with all her identification.

Massah’s mother, Ayo Babalola, arrived in Freetown from New York on 9 September 2018 to personally initiate a missing person’s file with the Sierra Leone Police and launch her own search. She said, “Nothing was being done to find Massah. Her father hadn’t contacted the Police. Her friends or sisters hadn’t heard anything. I had no word so I had to come myself. I just want her back, safe and sound.”

The Regional Security Officers of the U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone are aware of the situation and are working with local police. Two U.S. Embassy officers have visited ASP Lebbie, the officer in charge of the investigation at the CID, on several occasions. The Security Officers could not comment on the ongoing investigation but U.S. Ambassador, Maria E. Brewer is aware of Massah’s disappearance. After three weeks, she indicated, “We have been encouraging Sierra Leone’s police to follow up on all available information and keenly await an outcome from their investigation.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S. and West Africa have been notified and are monitoring the ongoing search and investigation.

The Police investigation is very slowly progressing but is stalled by a lack of capacity, inefficiency and a seeming lack of will, according to Massah’s mother. Ayo attends the CID almost everyday to encourage the Police. She said, “There is a major gender issue as I try to navigate and encourage the investigation, as a mother and a woman, I am not respected or my concerns are not addressed equitably because I am not a man.” Ayo complained to R.P.G. Roberts, Deputy Head of CID and Legal Adviser to the Sierra Leone Police, who promptly called a meeting of all involved. He instructed investigators to show more respect and to put more efforts into actions to find Massah. The second officer in charge of the investigation has since requested a transfer off the case. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Priscilla Schwartz, is in receipt of documents and letters but is yet to respond.

One suspect, Ibrahim Mansaray, Massah’s driver, is currently in custody and has been questioned by the Inspector General of Police, ASP Memunu Jalloh, who knows Massah personally, and the Head of CID. The suspect has provided very little information as to Massah’s disappearance but was in possession of Massah’s IPhone when he was arrested. After 45 days, the Cyber Crime Unit of CID has finally retrieved scant information from Massah’s phone but it has not proved useful in tracking Massah’s movements or whereabouts. The legal team at Orange, the telecom provider, will not comment and have not been helpful in providing information to the investigation.

Mansaray also looted Massah’s apartment of furniture, clothing and kitchen items before returning the keys to the landlords, Neneh and Samuel Carlton-Carew. According to the landlords, Massah was a quiet, good tenant. The apartment was paid for until the end of December 2018.

Massah’s father, Ansumana Jaia KaiKai, is the former SLPP Member of Parliament from Pujehun District, and former Deputy Minority Leader of Parliament. He and Massah were not on good terms and are estranged. Ansumana Jaia Kaikai has refused comment but has not been overly helpful in the search for his daughter, according to Massah’s mother. Ansumana Kaikai left the country for two weeks just after Massah’s mother arrived in Freetown and had not notified the Police nor filed a missing person’s report even though Massah had been missing for almost a month. According to the Police, Ansumana Jaia Kaikai made a brief statement to officers at CID.

At one point, according to a friend of Massah’s, Ansumana Kaikai said he sent a private search party to Bo and Pujehun to investigate his daughter’s disappearance. He said he held prayers in his home area and Massah would be returned on a specific date, which has long since past. Interestingly, Massah’s driver, Mansaray, used to work for the former MP, who also provided a vehicle to Massah for a short period of time.

Prior to Massah’s disappearance, Massah was recommended to President Bio by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Peter Bayuku Konteh, for an appointment as Executive Chair of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDA) based on her professional qualifications and previous successful projects with American Apparel retailer and the United States Embassy. Massah met Minister Konteh when he was Minister of Tourism and Massah was working on a project with Brussels Air. The Minister said he last spoke to Massah sometime in June. He added, Massah was also having meetings with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samura Kamara and the current minister, Alie Kabba. The SMEDA position is yet to be filled and no one has been called to the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments or Parliament for approval.

Interestingly, Edward Sesay, who also works at the Ministry of Trade, said he used to see Massah around the Ministry offices and became a friend. He helped Massah find her apartment almost three years ago. He also recommended Ann Marie Turay, whom he knew as a neighbour and friend, as a housekeeper to Massah. Turay worked for Massah up until the time of Massah’s disappearance. She has been questioned by the Police but provided very little information that could lead to Massah’s return. She remains a person of interest in the investigation. Apparently, with Massah’s permission, Ann Marie moved into Massah’s late grandfather’s family home on Manfred Lane on 3 August 2018, around the time Massah disappeared.

“With respect and never-ending love and admiration for my daughter, Massah Kaikai, I will leave no stone unturned, knock on every door… do all I can to see Massah Kaikai in front of me, safe and sound.” Ayodeji Babalola (nee Ademu-John).

The family property on Manfred Lane is a large farm with several buildings. It belonged to Ayo’s father’s family and after his death was divided between nine siblings including Ayo. The property has been greatly reduced in size by encroachers but remains a valuable piece of real estate in the heart of Freetown. Massah was given Letters of Accreditation over the property through her mother, Ayo, and was trying to develop sections of the land. Ansumana Jaia Kaikai was also named in the Accreditation document.

Gladys Quee, a lawyer and former girlfriend of Ansumana Jaia Kaikai, was advising Massah about removing her father’s name from the Accreditation document, including other land matters.

Ayo, Massah’s mother, met with the First Lady, Fatima Bio, on Friday 19 October 2018, who took immediate action and called her husband, the President, during the meeting. Fatima Bio explained the situation briefly to the President who was to “make some calls and take action”. Vice-President Juldeh Jalloh is also aware of the situation.

SD/3/11/18

Day two... more sadness

Day two of the ose-to-ose Ebola tok sensitization campaign began on a very sad note.

I was on my way to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists and Independent Radio Network studios when I came across a small gathering of people and police. I stopped and could hear wailing from a nearby shop.

After making inquiries from a police officer, he told me they'd found another body. The wails were from a sister to the deceased... who was obviously distraught. Phone calls had been made to the Ebola hotline, 117, and other calls were made to health agencies. "Please come and remove this body," they all pleaded.

I asked permission from the family of the deceased if I could stay around and talk to people and take some photos. They agreed. However, I WON'T display the deceased pictures.

I visited the studio and told the presenter, Francis Sowa, about the body. He announced the location on the radio and called the manager of burial services. I felt totally helpless... as the family waited for a health or burial team. There was nothing else to do.

After working at the studio for some time, I left to go about my "rounds" of the phantom city. I went back to the scene where a health team had just arrived. I asked the local Member of Parliament, who'd shown up at the scene, Amadu Fofanah of Constituency 109, if I could talk to people and take more photos. He agreed. These are the photos of the team... spraying down before retrieving the body, bringing the body (in a body bag) out towards an awaiting truck... and then spraying down afterwards before removing protective gear.

You can’t keep an okada down…

For those who haven’t read several of my previous blog posts… an “okada” is a public, motorcycle “taxi” driven by a young, male (I’ve only seen one woman) driver… who picks up passengers to hurry them to work, to market, to home, to court, to visit girlfriends/boyfriends, to hospitals, to funerals, to family and sometimes to the police station. Okadas can weave between traffic… between lanes (down the centre of roads between traffic, usually) across walkways, up trails and down pathways. They go where no car, truck or bus would ever dream to venture.

The 125cc motorbikes are made by an Indian company, TVS or Baja, and have an extended seat for passengers, goats, bags of rice, car tires, wardrobes, baskets of fish, bags of charcoal, pregnant women, children… Yes, almost anything and everything goes atop an okada. They are strong, sturdy, reliable, rugged and reasonably priced. The average motorbike costs about Le 6,000,000 or roughly $1,300. Second-hand parts are plentiful and almost every street corner sports a mechanic or two who can install gaskets, fix brakes, repair flat tires, change lightbulbs, etc.

In my opinion, okadas are an essential and integral part of the transport system here in Sierra Leone. Okadas are everywhere… the capital city, Freetown, provincial towns, border towns, villages, up the hills and across the nation.

The guys who ride, most anyway, are decent sorts… trying to earn a little money to pay school fees for their children, put themselves through college, pay medical bills for ailing family members or just put food in the pot. And most of these riders can’t find decent jobs that would take them off their bikes. Some are illiterate. Some only speak native languages. Some are former combatants. Some are college graduates. Some are orphans. Some are former convicts.

Some riders carry driver’s licenses. Some of the bikes are insured. Some of the okadas are properly registered… but many are not. Part of the problem with illegal okadas is the cost to license and register a commercial motorbike with the SL Road Transport Authority. According to a rider-friend, it cost him almost Le 800,000 ($175 or so) to register his commercial bike. He told me, “I’d rather just pay the police to let me off because that’s only Le 10,000/day.”

To ride an okada in Freetown is not easy, as they say here. I’ve asked around and learned a little about the economy of being an okada rider. First, they have to rent the bike from a “master”. Most okada guys don’t own their own bike. It costs anywhere from Le 40–50,000 (around $10) per day to rent a bike. Then there’s fuel… about 10 litres (enough for a day) costs Le 45,000. Police bribes cost between Le 10–20,000 per day… to avoid being arrested. If stopped/arrested by the police (if the officer is having a bad day) it’ll cost the rider up to Le 50,000 to get his bike back. If they are “charged to court” a rider faces a Le 150,000 ticket… and probably a year in jail (a hell I’m thankful to avoid). An average rider can make (depending on the weather) around Le 60–80,000 a day. Now, take away expenses… and these guys are barely scraping together Le 20,000 a day (under $5/day).

Now… getting to the point of this diatribe.

About a year ago, the government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) tried to stop the okadas from using some of the streets in the centre of Freetown. They said the okadas were “lawless and indecent”… dangerous and useless. The GOSL quoted non-existent accident reports… non-existent medical evidence, non-existent police files, etc. in their public relations campaign.

The GOSL definitely get an “A” for effort… And, as they say around here, “they tried”. To give the government of Sierra Leone credit, they tried almost everything… extra police, newly recruited “azonto” police, beatings, random arrests, sporadic checks of paperwork, Operation W.I.D. (I can’t recall what that even stood for), Presidential task forces, road monitors, bike rider union task forces, “spike rods” (long pieces of wood with nails driven through to flatten tires) … and even SL Road Transport Wardens. But, nothing worked… and okadas are still plying the streets.

The GOSL spent untold hundreds of thousands of dollars… billions of Leones… trying to enforce a law that doesn’t exist (limiting vehicles from certain roads). The GOSL instituted “operations” without any legal basis. The GOSL violated the human rights of hundreds of young men. The GOSL broke their own laws. The GOSL violated the Constitution (only police have the right to enforce the law). The GOSL divided the bike riders union by choosing some members to be “enforcers” over their brother riders. The GOSL sold licenses and registrations to commercial bike riders and then told them NOT to ride on certain streets in town.

It was a big mess for a while there… and the streets became even more dangerous as “illegal” okadas twisted and turned to avoid being caught by authorities. Of course, the minute the police left their post (around 7 p.m.)… or turned their back, okadas were swarming the streets again. Okadas would speed through police checks. Okadas would jump sidewalks to avoid being captured. And, it became a game for the okada riders… signaling to each other where to avoid and where to zip along. I remember watching an okada rider out-maneuver several police officers and I thought to myself… this is a scene from a “keystone kop” comedy.

It would be hilarious if it weren’t so serious… and dangerous.

So, after spending all that money and effort, the okadas are still plying the roads in downtown Freetown… And I, along with my okada brothers, will continue to zip along the roads on my privately licensed, insured and registered, red motorbike… wearing my helmet and my boots, of course. I have a good friend who calls me the "oCadaidian"... Funny stuff.