Zainab Sheriff, a popular entertainer, model and political activist, who has been jailed for misdemeanor offences, after she was found guilty of two counts under the Public Order Act of 1965, is seriously sick with family and advocacy organization calling for her to be granted medical bail, so she can get proper medical attention. Sources indicate that Zainab is suffering from multiple cysts in her breast and has been in pains for weeks, with some rumoring she was dead in jail, but the Sierra Leone Correctional Services has refuted that allegation. Her aunt confirmed that she visited Sheriff a few days ago at the Sierra Leone Female Correctional Centre in Freetown and found alive but seriously sick. This incident has raised fresh worries about Sheriff’s health while she remains in custody serving a four-year prison sentence, with some fearing she may die if she does not get urgent medical care preferably outside the country soonest.
Sheriff, was arrested on 20 February 2026 after being declared wanted. She was charged with incitement and using threatening language under the Public Order Act of 1965. The charges stemmed from remarks she made on 31 January 2026 at an All People’s Congress (APC) gathering at the Brima Attouga Mini Stadium in Freetown, in which prosecutors said she called for those who rig elections — and their families, to be killed and referred to the president in strong terms. Her legal team is currently arguing her case after they filed for an appeal against her conviction in April this year.