By Davida Spaine- Solomon
Freetown, 26th January 2026- Grief and anger have engulfed the Mansaray family following the tragic death of Joshua Mansaray, a young graduate who was brutally beaten by a mob after being wrongly accused of theft on the evening of Saturday, January 24, 2026.
Joshua, who had only graduated in November 2025 and was full of hopes for the future, lost his life in what his family describes as a senseless act of mob violence near Lodge by the OSD Headquarters in Freetown.
According to his elder brother, Samuel Mansaray, the family first learned of the incident in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“At about 12:20 a.m., I received a call from our father,” Samuel recounted. “He told me he had sent me a number on WhatsApp and that people were beating Joshua. I immediately called the number, and they directed me to the scene near Lodge.”
Samuel rushed there on a motorbike, but by the time he arrived, Joshua had already been severely beaten. Some bystanders were attempting to help him.
“He was almost dead when I got there,” Samuel said. “We rushed him to the 34 Military Hospital, but the doctors confirmed he had passed away.”
The family was advised to report the matter to the police before taking the body to the mortuary. After making a report at the police station, they were referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, where statements were taken. Officers then instructed them to take Joshua’s body to the Connaught mortuary, but it was reportedly full. They eventually returned to the 34 Military Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Samuel explained how the tragic misunderstanding began.
“Joshua had parked his motorbike and asked a few people nearby to watch it while he went to buy something,” he said. “When he returned to take his bike, someone suddenly shouted ‘thief,’ and a group of men gathered and started beating him.”
In a desperate attempt to save himself, Joshua reportedly ran to a nearby police station and called his father for help. However, according to the family, no immediate action was taken.
“By the time we got there, he was badly beaten and half naked,” Samuel added.
The brother further revealed that the police have since arrested ten suspects who are currently in custody. He said commercial bike riders in the area helped identify those involved in the attack.
The Mansaray family is now calling for justice, insisting that Joshua was an innocent young man whose life was cut short without cause.
“Our brother was not a bad person,” Samuel said emotionally. “He had just graduated and was trying to build his life. We want justice for Joshua.”
As of the time of this report, the Sierra Leone Police have not released an official statement on the incident.
Joshua’s death has reignited public concern over mob justice a practice that continues to claim innocent lives across the country leaving families shattered and communities in mourning.
