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Huliamatu Bah, a heartbroken mother, pleaded for justice in Parliament on Wednesday, 18th June, 2025, regarding the disappearance of her 2-year-old daughter, Jamestina Sowa.
Bah presented her emotional testimony to the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, and the Committee on Gender and Children’s Affairs, led by Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawallie.
She accused Mr. Moses Gbapi, a resident of Mosongo Village in Kori Chiefdom, of deceiving her into allowing him to take her daughter under the pretense of enrolling her in a support program for young mothers. She claimed that Gbapi assured her the program, allegedly based in Freetown, would help her care for Jamestina and allow for regular visits.
Trusting Gbapi, whom she knew personally, Bah traveled to Freetown with her daughter, accompanied by Gbapi’s brother, Jimmy Gbapi. Upon arrival, she was taken to an office presented as part of the program and was pressured to sign a document that had already been signed by Gbapi. After signing, Bah handed her daughter over to a woman named Emma Banya, who was introduced as the program coordinator.
Days later, when Bah attempted to visit Jamestina, she was denied access. Jimmy Gbapi told her to contact him before any visits and stated that the child “no longer belonged to her.” Distressed, Bah reported the incident to her sister, a police officer at the Waterloo Police Station.
Bah expressed frustration that law enforcement did not treat the case with the urgency it deserved, prompting her to bring her plea to Parliament. In response, Chief Moses Gbapi acknowledged discussing the program with Bah but denied any involvement in an adoption process. He claimed to have previously been in a relationship with Bah and believed Jamestina was his biological daughter, a statement Bah denied.
The Committee on Gender and Children’s Affairs has launched an investigation into the matter. Chairperson Hon. Catherine Tarawallie requested the child’s birth certificate and other relevant documents for review. Both Jimmy Gbapi and representatives from the Ministry linked to the program have been summoned to appear before Parliament on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Hon. Tarawallie warned that failure to comply with the summons could result in arrest. Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, urged the Committee to pursue the truth and ensure justice for vulnerable children.
Preliminary findings suggest that Jamestina Sowa may have already been adopted and possibly taken out of Sierra Leone, heightening the urgency of the inquiry. The hearing is scheduled to continue on June 26, 2025.
