Bah, an indigene of the community is alleged to have rejected an offer from replacing his father Chief Mohamed Bah of Kissy Village, Igbo Town as the traditional chief and has refused to go into the secret society bush where he was expected to undergo certain rituals. It is understood Bah’s late father who was a traditional chief before his death had earmarked and identified his son to be his successor, something the young man had rejected.
According to the investigation, Bah’s father, Chief Mohamed Bah of Kissy Village, Igbo Town before his death was reported to have earmarked his son as his successor. Therefore, Bah was ticked as the heir within the family who should replace his father. This was recorded and so when Bah’s father died, the tradition demands that his son be crowned to replace his father. Therefore, the secret society men immediately approached the family after the burial and discussed the issue at hand. But for Alpha, he was alleged to be very critical of such tradition hence the reason he and his late father had been in loggerhead even before his death. His position was that, as a religious man, he does not believe in any secret society which he considered to be sinful since he was a boy at the time attending Islamic Quranic Lessons where he was taught that such secret society is evil. After the death of his father, Alpha began to have nightmares which makes life uncomfortable for him and this resulted in depression. He was alleged to have turned down the invitation and so he was declared wanted on allegation of violating the tradition of the land. On many occasions, there have been several reports of the death of people being forced to be initiated and this created panic among young people who were afraid of joining secret societies of which chieftaincy is among. In Sierra Leone, the Chieftaincy Society is one of the most feared as they always demonstrate incredible mystical powers when going through ceremonial rituals. Sierra Leoneans fear them because they have part of their laws to unleash terror on anyone suspected of trying to pick a fight with them.
Since then, a warrant was declared for him within the township. Police officers are usually are afraid to confront members of society. Civil Society Organisations and Human Rights Activists have been denouncing such acts but it is understood that there are members within the government whose relationship to this society is highly connected from their root hence that makes it difficult to prosecute them or any member of the society.
Alpha was therefore taken to the Physiatric Hospital where he was treated. During a snappy visit at the hospital, Times SL Newspaper learned that among the patients admitted was Alpha Bah and that other patients were suffering from similar situations.