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Claim: A YouTube handle, “TPN Network,” is alleging that the government of Sierra Leone had made a counter-extradition request for Jos Leijdekkers, a known drug dealer from the Netherlands, in place of Adebayor, a Sierra Leonean fugitive based in Holland.
Verdict: Misleading! The Minister of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) Chernor Bah — debunked the claim via WhatsApp correspondence to DUBAWA, describing it as “Conjecture and false.” Instead, he said the extradition request came from the Netherlands, but the government had not considered it.
Full Text
The Trusted Partner Network (TPN) is a popular YouTube platform owned by a Sierra Leonean citizen based in the United States of America (USA). On one of its programmes, the host, Dr Mankuta Kamara, remarked that there may be diplomatic implications between Sierra Leone and the Netherlands.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, the host asserted in Sierra Leone’s Krio/Creole language that the government of Sierra Leone had made a counter-extradition request to the Dutch government. The aim is to produce Adebayor in return for the government to extradite Jos Leijdekkers, a popular drug dealer who has found Sierra Leone a good hiding place, at least for now.
He made the claim in the 1:50 – 3:00 minutes of the programme. He stated in part:
“. . .Di Bio-led SLPP gov’t don for mek e gre fo extradite di Dutch drug-pin Jos leijdekkers di Dutch gov’t for also extradite di famos Adebayo way dae na Holland as asylum seeker” — to wit, “The President Bio-led government has made an official counter-extradition request from the Dutch government for a famous Sierra Leonean fugitive, based in Holland, called ‘Adebayor’ — in return for Jos Leijdekkers, the Dutch and Europe’s drug kingpin.”
Image showing ‘Adebayor’ and ‘Jos’ — Image source: TPN Network YouTube channel.
The caption on a flier to advertise the programme is boldly written as follows: “Sierra Leone Gov’t want to exchange Leijdekker for Adebayor extradition!”
Before proceeding to verify the claim, it is important to know the personalities involved in the alleged extradition request.
Jos Leijdekkers vs. Adebayor — Who are they?
Sierra Leoneans widely know Adebayor as a controversial citizen who fled the country as an ‘asylum seeker’ in the Netherlands. He described himself as a socio-political freedom fighter and a social media commentator for the country’s voiceless citizens.
The name ‘Adebayor’ is notorious for issues of violent protests, foul language, incitement, etc. He is credited as a major pioneer and mastermind of the infamous August 10, 2023, deadly incident, which led to the death of police officers and citizens, with properties worth millions of Leones destroyed by violent youths in some parts of the country.
He has since been on the list of ‘wanted’ Sierra Leoneans for orchestrating violent actions/chaos in the country by the ruling SLPP-led government.
Jos Leijdekkers is a Dutch national who had already been spotted on the borders of Sierra Leone. Jos is one of the Netherlands and Europe’s ‘most wanted’ drug barons—who was convicted in absentia by the Dutch government for crimes involving drugs and other State offences — almost six months ago.
Jos, whom Sierra Leone’s police boss has identified as “Umarr Sheriff,” is believed to have been living in the country for the past 90 days since news of his presence in Freetown broke out by international media outlets, including Reuters News, and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
However, the recent news of Sierra Leone hosting a popular drug lord wanted by the Dutch government has brought up diplomatic issues. Even more intriguing is the claim that the Sierra Leone government has triggered official correspondences regarding the extradition of ‘Jos’ in place of ‘Adebayor’ — as claimed by the TPN Network’s host.
The importance of this claim led DUBAWA to investigate its content in the public’s interest.
Verification
DUBAWA contacted TPN’s YouTube channel/host to demand evidence of the ‘counter-extradition’ claim. However, DUBAWA has not received any response from the popular YouTube channel’s host or management,
The researcher then contacted Minister Chernor Bah, who debunked the TPN Network’s assertion.
Responding to DUBAWA’s message on WhatsApp, the country’s Information Minister noted that Sierra Leone has not made any ‘counter-extradition’ request to the Dutch government.
Minister Bah added that the statement made by the TPN Network’s host is nothing but conjecture and false assertion, adding that the government of Sierra Leone has only received the official request for the extradition of Jos late last week. However, the government has not responded to the request of the Dutch foreign minister, which was tendered to Sierra Leone’s Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
“. . .We haven’t spoken to the Dutch about their requests because, as I made clear, we received them on Monday. When we move, we will return to presser to explain. Every other claim is conjecture and false,” Minister Bah wrote to DUBAWA.
I’ve attached a screen grab of the correspondence between Minister Bah and DUBAWA’s researcher. Image source: DUBAWA / Fayia Moseray Jr.
Asked if the government had any such plan to ask for Adebayor in return for Jos, he noted that the government, via the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, had safely received official requests from the Dutch authorities.
“However, the government has not yet gone through the files submitted by the Dutch authorities. Thus, we can’t respond to any existing allegation or claim about the ‘counter–extradition’ saga between Sierra Leone and The Netherlands, as the host of the popular YouTube channel indicated,” Min. Bah said.
What does the future hold for the alleged counter-extradition request for Adebayor in the place of Jos?
“Until the document sent to Sierra Leone’s government via the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice by the Dutch foreign minister is processed and digested, the government of Sierra Leone will not respond to any comment or allegation of a counter–extradition request made by the government of Sierra Leone. Hence, the claim for a ‘counter-extradition’ request of Adebayor for Jos by the host of the TPN network is misleading.
“Whatever decision the government will make regarding the Dutch’s request, the government via the Ministry of Information will be made public for the general good of the citizenry,” Minister Bah said regarding Holland’s controversial request to extradite the popular drug kingpin in Europe and beyond.
Conclusion
According to the findings conducted by DUBAWA’s researcher in Freetown, it is misleading to suggest that the government of Sierra Leone had made a ‘counter extradition’ request for the head of Adebayor in place of Jos Leijdekkers.
