4 June 2026, Freetown. The Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone has presented 15 Lifan motorbikes to the Office of National Security (ONS) during a ceremony at the ONS headquarters on OAU Drive, Tower Hills, Freetown. The donation, which is aimed at enhancing the mobility and operational capacity of the ONS, was formally handed over to the National Security Coordinator (NS Coord), Mr Abdulai Caulker, in the presence of senior officials of the ONS and the Chinese diplomatic delegation.
Deputy National Security Coordinator Dr Ahmed Sannoh, in his opening remarks, warmly welcomed His Excellency Zhao Yong, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone and the Embassy’s Defence Attaché. Dr Sannoh described the donation of motorbikes as “a step in the right direction,” which will complement the work of the ONS and enhance bilateral cooperation between the two institutions. He also referred to a previous donation made in December 2025 by the embassy, which was composed of a 275 KVA generator, five tablets, three printers and 30 folding chairs, and said the previous donation had already improved electricity support and enabled the ONS operations.
Ambassador Zhao Yong, on behalf of his Embassy, presented the motorbikes to the ONS and took the opportunity to commend the office for efforts to improve national security. He said the assistance was a demonstration of a commitment to continue to support the security institutions of Sierra Leone. In his statement, Ambassador Zhao highlighted the improvement of Sierra Leone’s security profile in the region. “Sierra Leone is now ranked second in West Africa and fifth in Africa in sub-regional security, a sign of progress and a basis for continued cooperation between the two sides,” he said.
National Security Coordinator Mr Abdulai Caulker thanked the Chinese Ambassador and thanked him for the practical support. He talked about his early discussions with Ambassador Zhao about ONS security coordination and the challenges for ONS, such as mobility constraints that can limit rapid response and oversight. ‘The ambassador then followed up those conversations by contacting the ONS about what items they had,’ said Mr Caulker. “That’s what led to the acquisition and donation of the bikes.
The 15 motorbikes will be distributed to provinces, with one motorbike per district, to improve local security coordination, the NS Coordinator said. He emphasised that the vehicles will be used intelligently to increase national security across the country, thus increasing ONS’s capacity to monitor and support security operations at the district level.
The event ended with the signing of a bilateral agreement between the Office of National Security and the Chinese Embassy and the symbolic handing over of the keys to the 15 motorbikes. Both sides reiterated their commitment to deepening cooperation, with Ambassador Zhao promising to continue supporting ONS’s efforts to secure and improve national security.
