A young man known to many in central #Freetown but named by none was found dead yesterday morning near Connaught Hospital. The body was discovered around 11 a.m. along Lightfoot Boston Street, close to Percival Street Junction.
Local shop owners said the man, who was disabled and begged for alms by the hospital fence, had been a familiar presence for years. He rarely spoke and appeared to live on the streets. No one knew his name, family, or where he came from.
“He was always there, sitting quietly,” said one trader nearby. “We never saw him trouble anyone. Now he’s gone, and still, no one knows who he was.”
The discovery comes a day after Mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyerr announced that the Freetown City Council had cleared 220 corpses from public areas as of 7 October 2025. The growing number of unclaimed bodies has become a public health concern for the city.
Residents who tried to report the death said they were met with silence and confusion. Calls to emergency numbers 117 and 112 went unanswered. The Central Police Station said it had no authority to remove the body, while Connaught Hospital’s administrators pointed to ongoing mortuary renovations and referred the issue to the City Council.
When reached by phone, Mohamed Bangura, who heads the council’s desolate unit, confirmed the responsibility rested with them. But he admitted the council’s only emergency vehicle was unavailable.
Bangura said he did not know when the vehicle would return or when the body would be collected.
By evening, the man’s body was still lying by the roadside, covered with a thin cloth placed by residents.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said another witness. “No one deserves to be left like that.”
The case has deepened frustration over the handling of public health and emergency services. With limited resources, poor coordination, and unclear authority, Freetown’s struggle with unclaimed bodies continues to test both the system and the conscience of its people. #SierraLeone