Sierra Leone’s immigration chief fired after video surfaces with Europe’s most wanted drug lord

Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio has fired Alusine Kanneh, the country’s head of immigration, following the publication of a video showing Kanneh with Johannes Leijdekkers, a notorious Dutch drug kingpin.
The footage, which emerged on 7 March, shows Kanneh receiving a birthday gift from Leijdekkers, who is wanted across Europe for drug trafficking and murder. Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos,” was sentenced in absentia by courts in both the Netherlands and Belgium to, respectively, 24 years and 13 years in jail for his involvement in large-scale cocaine smuggling and other violent crimes. It is believed he has been hiding in Sierra Leone since at least 2022, and recent investigations suggest he has close ties with members of the Sierra Leonean elite. Reports have also emerged that Leijdekkers is in a romantic relationship with Agnes Bio, daughter of the Sierra Leone president.
The video was obtained by the investigative outlet Follow the Money and the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, raising questions about potential corruption within Sierra Leone’s government. Kanneh was removed from his position the same day the footage was made public, although the official statement did not specify the reasons for his dismissal. The incident adds to a growing list of controversies surrounding Leijdekkers’ presence in Sierra Leone. Dutch authorities have requested his extradition, but the country lacks a formal extradition treaty with the Netherlands. This development comes amid broader concerns about criminal networks using West Africa as a transit point for drugs bound for Europe.