Fr. Konteh called on Sierra Leonean authorities, particularly the police, to provide answers and take swift action to prevent further tragedies.
Newsroom (19/09/2025, Gaudium Press )The President of Catholic Priests in Sierra Leone has issued a fervent call for justice following the brutal murder of Fr. Augustine Amadu, a dedicated priest killed on August 30 while preparing for a new pastoral mission in the Catholic Diocese of Kenema.
In a poignant reflection shared with ACI Africa on September 19, the day Fr. Amadu was laid to rest, Fr. Peter Konteh, who also serves as the Second Vice President of the Religious Union of the Diocesan Priests of West Africa (RUPWA), urged Sierra Leonean authorities to act decisively to deliver justice for Fr. Amadu and his grieving family and community. “We cry not only for the loss of a priest who gave his life in service to God and His people, but also for justice,” Fr. Konteh said. “Justice for Fr. Augustine, who was brutally taken from us, and justice for the many innocent people who continue to suffer at the hands of criminals.”
Fr. Amadu, who served at Kenema’s Immaculate Conception Parish, was attacked at night in the parish house where he lived alone, according to a statement from the Sierra Leonean Police (SLP) on August 30. Parishioners raised the alarm after discovering the crime, which occurred as Fr. Amadu was preparing for his farewell Mass on August 31, ahead of his reassignment to St. John Kailahun Parish in Kenema. Authorities suspect robbers were responsible for the priest’s death, though no arrests have been reported.
Describing the burial as “a solemn moment of faith, grief, and remembrance,” Fr. Konteh emphasized the broader implications of the tragedy, pointing to a rising tide of insecurity in Sierra Leone. He linked Fr. Amadu’s killing to a growing trend of greed among young people, whom he accused of seeking “quick wealth without hard work.”
“This tragedy compels us to reflect on the root causes of crime in our society,” said Fr. Konteh, who also serves as the Executive Director of Caritas Freetown, the development arm of the Sierra Leonean Archdiocese. “Too many of our young people desire money but resist the dignity of labor.” He advocated for redirecting youthful energy toward productive ventures such as farming, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship, noting that Sierra Leone’s rich but underutilized land offers opportunities for dignified livelihoods.
The Catholic Church in Sierra Leone has been plunged into mourning by Fr. Amadu’s death. “We are a people of faith, a people of hope. Yet, even in this faith and hope, our human hearts ache with sorrow,” Fr. Konteh said. He called on the authorities, particularly the police, to provide answers and take swift action to prevent further tragedies. “We raise our collective voice to demand justice,” he declared, “so that no other family, no other community, and no other Church may endure such pain again.”
As the Church bids farewell to Fr. Amadu, commending his soul to eternal peace, the call for accountability and societal reform grows louder, echoing across Sierra Leone’s faithful and beyond.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa
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