Credit: SwitSalone
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Claim: A Facebook post by The Makoni Times of Sierra Leone claims that Sierra Leonean musician and public figure Zainab Sheriff has died due to medical complications.
Verdict: False. According to Mohamed Koroma, a staff member of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, she is still alive.
Full Text
A claim circulating on Facebook (archived here) says that Sierra Leonean musician and public figure Zainab Sheriff has died from medical complications.
The claim was published by The Makoni Times – Sierra Leone, alongside a photograph of Zainab Sheriff and the caption: “Breaking News: Zainab Sheriff don die dis net due to medical complications.”
The post has attracted 132 reactions, 59 comments, and 9 shares from social media users, with some expressing sadness over the reported death.
Zainab Sheriff is a Sierra Leonean musician, model, entertainer, reality TV personality, and political activist. She became widely known through her entertainment career and public appearances before becoming an outspoken political figure. In recent years, she has used her public platform to comment on political and national issues, including concerns about governance and the 2023 presidential election.
In February 2026, Sheriff was arrested after making statements at a political rally in which she criticised the incumbent government and alleged election rigging. She was charged with incitement and threatening language under Sierra Leonean law. On April 14, 2026, Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah found her guilty on both counts and sentenced her to four years and two months in prison, with the sentences running concurrently.
Because of its potential to mislead, DUBAWA decided to verify if indeed she had died. A similar claim was also posted here.
Verification
Given that Sheriff is currently serving her sentence, DUBAWA contacted Mohamed Koroma, a staff member of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, to verify her current status and determine whether the claim of her death was accurate.
Koroma confirmed that the report claiming Zainab Sheriff had died was false, stating that she is alive.
To support our findings that Zainab Sheriff is still alive, the Sierra Leone Correctional Service has issued a press release confirming that the claim is false.
DUBAWA also found that the Facebook post provided no evidence from a credible news organisation, family member, medical authority, or other official source to support the reported death.
The use of a photograph and the “Breaking News” caption may make the post appear credible. However, reliable evidence did not support the claim.
Conclusion
The claim that Zainab Sheriff died from medical complications is false. Mohamed Koroma, a staff member of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, confirmed to DUBAWA that Zainab Sheriff is alive.
