When President Julius Maada Bio was looking for an astute, disciplined and dedicated officer to head the Sierra Leone Police in place of Michael Ambrose Sovula, many people in the security sector said the President didn’t need to look far for long.
William Fayia Sellu has practically grown through the rank and file of the police force. Coupled with peace keeping operations in Darfur with the United Nations, heading the Criminal Investigations Department, being Commandant of the Police Training School, the Southern Region Commander and Aide-de-Camp to former President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, President Bio found his man in the capable and focused person of William Fayia Sellu.
How do you use the 10,000 men and women dedicated to ensuring the security and peace of over 8 million Sierra Leoneans? That is, one officer to secure and protect 800. This is the herculean task that Inspector General of Police (IGP) William Fayia Sellu has to balance every day since he became head of the police force two years ago on 27th July, 2022, after sailing through his parliamentary scrutiny with ease.
It is not every day people in Sierra Leone have anything good to say about members of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) force. As a matter of fact, before now it was highly uncommon to hear anyone praise members of the force, especially the heads of the police. But new Police Chief William Fayia Sellu is proving to be the exception to this unwritten rule. Since he stepped up as the substantive head of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) force, Inspector General William Fayia Sellu has been a standout, going as far as standing alone a lot of times in the execution of his mandate in line with the vision of his boss, Retired Brigadier General President Julius Maada Bio, a man that is also familiar with the exactitudes of ensuring the peace and security of the citizenry and state.
Two years after taking over from Ambrose Michael Sovula, the new IGP has raised the bar, setting a high standard for future holders of his office. An evident paradigm shift has happened in the SLP since he took over with highly visible and appreciable outcomes. With a focus on service delivery, discipline and community policing, the image of the police and even their relationship with the community they work with has received a shot in the arm resulting in a win-win situation for all.
All over Sierra Leone we have seen more and more people having access to police services they were once deprived of. Literally taking the police to the peoples’ doorsteps, this union has been highly rewarding for all. The people have seen a reduction in crimes and criminal activities in their communities either by the arrest of culprits or the opening of police stations and posts in previously underserved areas of the country.
The public has reported remarked improvement in their relationship with members of the police force under the disciplined hand of IGP William F. Sellu. Before his tenure the relationship between the police force and the people was nothing good to write home about with people literally living in fear of officers who were routinely accused of using unnecessary force and defeating the aims of justice. By taking police services to more areas across the country William Fayia Sellu has rescued this vital relationship with the very community the police will have to work with in furtherance of ensuring that the rule and administration of the law prevail. This relationship has resulted to community people now willing to work with police officers in the apprehension of criminal elements across the country thereby enhancing free movements, business and even visitors to various communities across the country.
Those that know Inspector General Williams Fayia Sellu would boast about his focus on discipline. As a dedicated Christian, discipline forms a strong part of God’s economy so its application in all aspects of life is always rewarding. But discipline must start from within. In his instilling of discipline in the police force the IGP has had to sack and jail some of his subordinates for various crimes against the law. Many more are in jail awaiting trials after being found wanting for un-policeman-like activities and relieved of their duties.
With a complement of division and local unit commanders the IG has been able to spread a tight net on criminality with significant reductions in crime statistics, especially armed robberies, assault and theft cases. Police day and night time patrols, far from the menace they used to be to society, are now welcomed in all communities and have rendered Sierra Leone the safe and secure society we all know it to be. Concerned citizens and those that have benefitted from the dedicated Police Chief have praised the president for his appointment. Since the president appointed William Fayia Sellu as head of the police force he has been equal to the task, even going beyond the call of duty.
It is evident that the transformative moves that the IGP has instituted in the police force are based on the transformation his boss the president has been making across the country.
In furtherance of his work with community people, the police relationship with the local police partnership boards has further cemented the new relationship between the SLP and the public they serve. Apart from quick apprehension of criminals from the communities we have also seen their apprehension in neighbouring countries due to the excellent inter-country relationships the police force has created with regional and worldwide police and state security structures.
During tense encounters with the public the caring Police Chief has always delivered on the safety of his forces whose safety is tied with that of the public. During the highly strung events of 10 August, 2022 hardship protest, 11 September, 2023 election rerun protest, and 26 November, 2023 failed coup attempt, the number of casualties were limited due to enhanced policing tactics and use of weaponry that saved more lives and properties than were lost. As a result of these and other events that have pitted the police against protesting civilians, the IGP has called on parents to talk to their children to prevent them from falling under the influence of others who would want to use them to cause insecurity in the country.
Meanwhile the work and dedication of the new police force under the dual command of the IGP and the Commander-In-Chief, the President, has not gone unnoticed as even representatives of foreign governments have made strategic contributions to the police force in the furtherance of the IG’s mandate. The president recently supplied the SLP with 35 new vehicles including two coasters.
There are a lot of top performers in President Julius Maada Bio’s terms as president. While many of them have been doing well in their assignments, few are standouts, even stand alone. The Inspector General of Police is one standout that is putting a distance in terms of performance between him and any other occupant of the Office of the I.G. of Police. As an active Christian, the Police Chief sees working for the president as working for the Lord.
But apart from all that William Fayia Sellu has accomplished as Inspector General of Police, it is his fight against the drug menace kush that has won the hearts of the people. Celebrating his second anniversary as police chief over the weekend (Saturday, 27 July, 2024), the IG was hosted by students at the Fourah Bay College who invited the IG to inform him of their decision to join the police force to help combat the drug abuse menace in the country. At the end of the engagement the IG suggested that the Sierra Leone Police media organises a football match between members of the police force and Fourah Bay College students, which is being worked on.
Sierra Leone has struggled with drug addiction before but never has a drug menace so captivated all sectors of society from the high and mighty to the poor and lowly, as the kush recreational drug. The IGP’s “million man march against kush” and call for the New Drug Control Act of 2008 to be used instead of the Pharmacy Act of 2001, which law instructs magistrates not to offer bail to anyone charged to court on drugs related charges but should instead ensure their cases are forwarded to the High Court to act as deterrence, continues to win IG Sellu more praise.
Sierra Leoneans from all walks of life have commended the new Chief of Police for his stellar performance and for rescuing the reputation of the police force since his appointment. Heading the Sierra Leone Police force is not an easy job, as they have come under fire for a lot of issues bordering on breaking the laws they are supposed to enforce. But by his singular focus on eradicating kush from the public space, Sellu has been called the best police chief. Citizens say he has shown himself dedicated to the eradication of drugs and by this effort has vindicated the police from the accusations levied against them for allegedly being part of the drug importing, smuggling and selling problem. This is in line with the five pillars of the fight against ‘Kush’: health, sensitisation, security, law enforcement, and health system.
Not too long ago, the citizens said it was a common thing to hear people blaming the police for the proliferation of recreational drugs across the country. Many of the citizens cited the fact that whenever drug dealers were arrested, they would call highly placed or ranked officers who would facilitate their freedom and getting back their arrested drugs and money. The new IGP, they said, have changed the game and reversed the table on the drug dealers. Now, places where police officers were known for not going to chase drug dealers have all been shut down with the drug dealers who were at one point seen as being above the law now in jail. Many have been charged to court and are either being tried or are awaiting trial.
In the past, it was common to hear people in the public accusing the police of being complicit in drug deals across the country. Today, this is not the case as many of these men have had their ghettoes or cartels destroyed with the drugs and money confiscated to be used as evidence in court. Under Chief Sellu’s command many police officers have been arrested at ghettoes and cartels, stripped of their uniforms and jailed. Such officers would allegedly pass information to cartel owners whenever there was a plan to raid and arrest them thereby defeating the aims and objectives of the police force.
Civil society activists dedicated to the rule of law say under Chief Sellu’s regime no police officer is a sacred cow as they have all been stripped of their sacredness and shown to be mere men. By sullying the image and reputation of the Sierra Leone Police force, these men have crossed the line and rendered themselves common criminals wearing police uniforms.
This medium was informed that anyone that is alleged to be involved in the use and sale of prohibited drugs have been sanctioned with many having to lose their job and positions. It must be recalled that after William Fayia Sellu took over he made fighting drugs his number one concern as the issue of members of the police force being in an unholy alliance with drug dealers was rife among the public. That coupled with the allegation by drug peddlers that they have ranking officers as their friends at all the police stations was a common bluff or boast that cartel owners and their dealers would make.
This was proven as many arrested drug dealers would call ranking police officers in the presence of journalists and make arrangements for their drugs, those arrested at their cartels and the seized cash to be released from the police station, which would happen. However, the advent of IGP William Fayai Sellu has seen a marked difference in his approach to the drug problem from all his predecessors. Police officers have been arrested and jailed, many have lost their jobs and pension, big time drug dealers and importers that used to act like celebrities across the city and in the hinterland have been arrested and charged to court with many of them facing the possibility of losing their wealth acquired from selling drugs.
Also, the IGP has made the fight against drug abuse a holistic one by involving other agencies and community stakeholders like school principals, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Office of National Security, Drivers’ Union, the Transnational Organised Crime Unit and community people in the effort. This has taken the fight from the police to involve those that are directly affected by the presence of cartels and ghettoes in their communities. To show that he is serious about turning things around for even those who fall victim to drug abuse, the IGP has been instrumental in the setting up of rehabilitation centres where victims of drug abuse can get rehabilitated and assisted to return back to being active members of society. This is a stark contrast to what used to happen under other chiefs of police.
IGP William Fayai Sellu’s “One Million Man March” has produced results as it has seen the issue of drug abuse taking centre stage with many young people being made aware of the negative impact of drug abuse on not only their lives but the life of the community and their homes. The police and army wives’ associations have both taken up the cause of the million man march against Kush as part of their advocacies. The concerned citizens say they hope that as time goes on and as the IGP continues to excel at his job that we will see an end to many of the issues members of the public have with the Sierra Leone Police force, including but not limited to how they handle crowd control, the use of deadly force, illegal search and seizure of money and properties, police officers assaulting members of the public they are supposed to serve and protect, the issue of bribing officers to look the other way, heavy handed policing, jailing of the innocent without charge, working on orders from above, and much more.
Members of the public that praised the new IGP say that he is equal to the task and before his time at the helm expires would have made significant impact on how the public views members of the Sierra Leone Police force.