Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr Fatima Maada Bio, has clarified that neither she nor the First Family was responsible for the imprisonment of entertainer and political activist Zainab Sheriff, while expressing her willingness to join calls for her release through a presidential pardon.
Madam Bio made the remarks on Monday, October 26, 2026, during the National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference in Freetown, where she addressed growing appeals from musicians and other supporters seeking clemency for the jailed entertainer.
“I did not put Zainab Sheriff in prison. I didn’t even know what she did until I saw the video on Dr. Silver Blyden’s page,” the First Lady said.
She explained that the President’s prerogative of mercy could provide a route to Sheriff’s release, urging supporters to direct their appeals towards the appropriate authorities rather than placing responsibility for the imprisonment on the First Family.
“The only thing the president can do as the father of the nation is to give her a pardon,” she stated.
Madam Bio further called on those campaigning for Sheriff’s release to recognise the roles played by the police and the judiciary in the legal process.
“And as we keep singing to plead with the president to pardon her, let’s also do same to the police and the judiciary that arrested and prosecuted her,” she said.
The First Lady subsequently expressed her willingness to join musicians in appealing to President Julius Maada Bio to consider granting Sheriff a pardon.
“And so I will join the musicians to also plead that Zainab be released,” she added.
Sheriff was sentenced in April 2026 to four years’ imprisonment for incitement and two months for using threatening language, with the sentences running concurrently. The case arose from remarks she made at an opposition political gathering in January 2026. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Her imprisonment has generated public debate, with supporters, musicians and other public figures calling for her release and raising concerns about the circumstances of her prosecution and detention.
Under Sierra Leone’s constitutional framework, the President has the power to grant pardons subject to the applicable constitutional procedures.
Madam Bio’s remarks add to the growing public conversation surrounding Sheriff’s case, placing renewed attention on calls for clemency and the role of the President’s prerogative of mercy.
Spear News SL will continue to follow developments in the case and the broader national conversation on justice, reconciliation and social cohesion.