By Andrew Chokpeleh
Freetown, 12th February 2026- The tragic killing of Mrs. Valentina Bisodun Catherine Kamanda (née Nicol), a respected matron at Connaught Hospital and lecturer at the Faculty of Nursing, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), continues to grip Sierra Leone, as police investigations move forward with new evidence and confessions.
Kamanda was brutally attacked in her Goderich residence on the night of February 8, 2026, in an incident that also left her young daughter seriously injured. The child remains hospitalized and is receiving treatment.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has confirmed that Goodluck Nicol, the deceased’s 16-year-old adopted son, is in custody. Police sources say Nicol has confessed to striking Kamanda on the head with a pestle, a revelation that has shifted the investigation from initial robbery suspicions to an internal family tragedy.
CID Head ACP Allieu Jalloh disclosed that investigators have secured access to Kamanda’s laptop and mobile phone, which are expected to provide crucial leads. Authorities are also probing claims that some individuals attempted to disguise the attack as an external robbery.
The killing has sparked widespread outrage and mourning, with colleagues and students at COMAHS describing Kamanda as a dedicated educator and healthcare leader. Civil society groups are calling for stronger protections for public servants and swifter justice in violent crime cases.
Police say investigations are ongoing, with forensic analysis of digital evidence expected to shed more light on motive and possible accomplices.
