Claim: A Facebook post by K Town Blog claims that Sierra Leonean musician Alhaji Amadu Bah, alias L.A.J, was arrested after allegedly stealing a phone at a restaurant. The post was accompanied by a photograph showing a man dressed in white being escorted by police officers.
Verdict: False. The image has been digitally manipulated. The person shown in the photograph is Sierra Leonean musician Fyn Face, not Alhaji Amadu Bah, alias L.A.J.
Full Text
A Facebook post circulating online claims that popular Sierra Leonean musician L.A.J. was arrested after allegedly stealing a phone at a restaurant.
The post, shared by K Town Blog, carries the caption: “LAJ DONE TIFF BACK OOO, IHN GO TIFF PHONE NA RESTAURANT.” The photograph shows a man dressed in white being escorted by police officers towards a vehicle. The post attracted 3,000 reactions, 288 comments, and 42 shares.
Alhaji Amadu Bah, popularly known as LAJ, Boss LA, or King Boss LA, is a prominent Sierra Leonean hip-hop musician and the CEO of Red Flag Muzik. He gained national prominence through his music, particularly following the success of his hit song “Money Na Bank” and his album Talk of Salone.
In February 2024, President Julius Maada Bio appointed him as Sierra Leone’s Peace Ambassador to promote peace, unity, reconciliation, and national cohesion.
He used his influence as a popular musician to encourage young people and citizens to embrace peaceful coexistence and avoid actions that could divide the country. LAJ is now a former Peace Ambassador, following the end of his tenure in 2026.
Because the claim concerns a well-known Sierra Leonean musician and alleges criminal conduct, DUBAWA decided to fact-check it. Similar claims were also posted here and here.
Verification
DUBAWA’s review found that the photograph had been digitally manipulated to make it appear that the person in the original photograph is L.A.J.
Analysis using the digital forensics tool JPEGSnoop suggests that the photograph was digitally manipulated using image-editing software. The image does not match any known camera model. It was compressed with typical web software and contains metadata indicating it was processed in photoshop/Instagram.
Screenshot of results/source: JPEGSnoop
A closer examination of the photograph shows that the face of the man in the image does not belong to L.A.J. The person pictured is Fyn Face, a Sierra Leonean musician. The original photograph of Fyn Face can be found here and here.
DUBAWA also contacted Sammy D King, a member of Fyn Face’s team, popularly known as the Soja Team, to determine whether Fyn Face had indeed been arrested. According to Sammy D King, Fyn Face was never arrested as suggested by the viral post. He explained that the photograph was part of a drama staged by Fyn Face last year to promote one of his shows. This account further confirms that the image was taken out of context and later manipulated to falsely portray Fyn Face as L.A.J. Therefore, the viral claim that L.A.J was arrested for allegedly stealing a phone at a restaurant is false.
DUBAWA’s image review therefore established that the photograph was altered to falsely associate Fyn Face’s image with the claim about L.A.J. The person in the original photograph is Fyn Face, while the altered image attempts to present him as L.A.J.
There is therefore no credible evidence to support the allegation that L.A.J. was arrested for stealing a phone at a restaurant.
Conclusion
The claim that L.A.J. was arrested for stealing a phone at a restaurant is false. DUBAWA’s review found that the image accompanying the claim had been digitally manipulated. The person shown in the original photograph is Sierra Leonean musician Fyn Face, not Alhaji Amadu Bah, alias L.A.J.