Was Dauda Sandy a Hero or Villain in the SLPP?

Dauda’s life after Mafanta Prison was marked by a darker and more defining period in Sierra Leonean politics.

He returned to Kenema township, resumed work at his small factory, and became Personnel Manager at Forest Industries.

Dauda traveled to Germany to study business management, forming an acquaintance with industrialist, Mr. Harning.

Preparations for the 1977 general elections were complex, with the APC seeking to put Brigadier David Lansana on trial for treason.

The APC mobilized its machinery, using undercover operatives and intelligence outposts to gather information on Lansana’s movements.

Mende elders orchestrated Lansana’s escape across the border into Liberia, using the Bondo institution and the “Mamie Queens” to identify a secure crossing.

Dauda returned to the constituency after his release from Mafanta Prison, welcomed warmly by the chiefs, and determined to build upon the foundation laid by his brother, Brigadier David Lansana.

The 1977 general election saw Sama Banya contesting as the APC candidate, while Dauda had initially planned to run under the SLPP, but withdrew his candidacy when Banya chose to run with the APC.