The mother of jailed activist Zainab Sheriff, Madam Memuna Mansaray, has spoken exclusively to Vantage Newspaper about her daughter’s health, expressing concern over her condition and appealing to the government to allow her to seek medical treatment outside Sierra Leone.
According to Madam Mansaray, her daughter had been having issues with the Government of Sierra Leone several months ago and was subsequently charged with incitement. She said Zainab was convicted by a Sierra Leonean court and sentenced to four years in prison.
Mansaray said that on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, Zainab complained of having an attack, accompanied by pain in her side and body.
She said she immediately requested that the management of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) take her daughter to the hospital for medical attention. However, according to Mansaray, she was told that Zainab could not be taken to the hospital without first following the required procedures.
Mansaray said she insisted that her daughter needed to see a doctor urgently because she feared the situation could become life-threatening. She claimed that officials responded that, “She will not die.”
She said that after the necessary procedures had been completed, Zainab was eventually taken to the hospital under the guard of armed security officers.
Mansaray added that she was uncomfortable with the circumstances surrounding the hospital visit and remains concerned about her daughter’s wellbeing.
According to her, the Correctional Service has also restricted visits to Zainab, with only three people currently being allowed to see her.
Mansaray further claimed that Zainab received proper medical attention while she was undergoing trial, but that her situation changed after she was convicted and imprisoned.
She expressed concern about the environment in which her daughter is being held and appealed directly to President Julius Maada Bio and the Government of Sierra Leone to allow Zainab to travel abroad for specialised medical treatment.
“I am appealing to the government and the entire world to allow my daughter to travel to another country for better medical treatment before she passes away in Sierra Leone,” Mansaray said.
Zainab’s elder sister, Makiatu Kombeh, also told Vantage Newspaper that her sister is alive but claimed that she is in a critical condition.
Kombeh similarly appealed to President Bio and the government to allow Zainab to travel abroad for medical treatment, stressing that she could return to Sierra Leone after receiving the necessary care.
The concerns raised by Zainab’s family come amid reports circulating on social media claiming that she had died in custody.
In a press release dated 17 August 2026, the Sierra Leone Correctional Service firmly rejected the reports, describing them as “Fake News” and assuring the public that Zainab Sheriff is alive.
The SLCS said Zainab had complained of being sick and had been provided with the requisite medical attention, adding that she was recovering well.
The Correctional Service said the welfare of every inmate remains a priority and urged the public and media to rely on the institution for accurate and official information concerning inmates in its custody.
The SLCS also appealed to the public to be cautious about information circulating on social media, particularly reports concerning the health and welfare of inmates.
While the Correctional Service says Zainab is recovering, her family continues to express serious concern about her health and is calling for permission for her to receive further medical treatment abroad.
