By Kelfala Kargbo

Freetown, 8th June, 2026 —Traders at Hill Station Tennis Court have expressed concern about the demolition of their make-shift structures, describing it as ‘unfair’ treatment by the land owner, Christian Paul Farma.

They confirmed that the demolition was carried out by the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA) and police officers on Tuesday afternoon, 2nd June, 2026, saying that they were given only four days’ notice [to evacuate the place].

The community Chairlady, Fatmata Kamara, who is also a trader at the market, told Truth Media that they had been trading at the place since 2017 without any issue until 2022, when Farma, the land owner in question, showed up and claimed ownership of the place.

Kamara alleged that in 2023, Farma began threatening them to evacuate the land and even took them to the Deputy Minister of Land, Phylis Kormoh.

“The Minister visited the place and told us she would find us another place. But at the time, she had told us that our being there did not affect anyone, as she had heard that we mended the roads,” she claimed.

Despite having no legal document to show ownership of the place, she said both the Deputy Minister of Lands, Phylis Kormoh and Minister of Works, Denis Sandy, had assured them that they would sell there as the site is not owned by a private individual but the government. Truth Media has yet to verify this claim.

For Fatmata and other traders, they believe their livelihood is being threatened. Fatmata, a mother of three children who are in the university, emotionally expressed concern about how she could feed the home and equally train her children in the university.

Like Fatmata, other traders shared similar sentiments, but said their only hope is for authorities to come to their aid.

Adama Mansaray, another trader, expressed that she is the breadwinner of her home and that the issue will affect not only her but her household.

Christian Paul Farma’s land is a few walks to the market. In his response, he said the presence of the make-shift has been affecting trucks bearing building materials’ access to his land, where there is ongoing construction.

Farma said that since 2023, he had engaged the traders to evacuate the place, but they had been reluctant, claiming that the traders had sought political influence to intervene on their behalf.

“In a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Lands, the Minister had told them that [the] road is not for market but [for] access. The Minister also told them that she had visited the place two years ago, warning them to move out and that she was surprised they had not left the place,” he alleged, while responding to the claim the traders made about the Deputy Minister of Lands assuring them to occupy the place.

At one time, he explained, he had paid for a 40ft container to transport sand for five days, but, he said, because the road was small, the truck got stuck, making him lose money and delay his construction, photo that he tendered to Truth Media.

This action, according to him, warranted him to formally write SLRA, dated 29th August, 2025, stating encroachment issues due to the make-shift structures by the traders.

He claimed the letter was acknowledged by SLRA, in which the Director General, Alfred Jalil Momodu, appended his signature and stamped it.

In the same month of August, he said, SLRA issued a notice to the traders, directing them to leave the place.

Farma said he and other land owners in the area will compensate them, so they could start up somewhere, an approach he said he has been doing since 2022.

The traders are calling on the authorities concerned to intervene in what they referred to as “disadvantage.”

This is a developing story.