By Amadu Kanu
23 years old Abu Bakarr Conteh, an anti FGM parent, is reported to have narrowly escaped death from the hands of irate FGM imitators, in Malkiya village, Tonko Limba Chiefdom, Kambia district, Northern Sierra Leone for allegedly entering into their sacred ‘bondo’ society shrine.
According to eyewitness testimony, it all started on the 4th of July 2022, when Abu was called by his parents to witness the 40th day funeral ceremony of their uncle at Malkiya village.
The eyewitness who refused not to be named for fear of her life, said that when Abu and his daughter, Fanta Ramadan Conteh arrived at the village, he was with the idea that the ceremony will take place as earlier communicated to him, but to his disappointment, his mother and baby mama’s mother informed him that his main purpose of being in the village was to initiate his daughter into the Bondo society (FGM initiation).
Our eyewitness further explain that, while the two parents were busy explaining to Abu about what they intended doing, his daughter had already been secretly taken into the society shrine for initiation.
The eyewitness maintained that, immediately Abu heard the horrible news about his daughter being taken into the Bondo Society’s secret shrine, he wasted no time but to forcedly entered into the Bondo shrine and took away his 4 years old daughter.
The witness stated that luckily for Abu, the time he went to remove his daughter from the society shrine, dozens of initiators and attendees were busy singing, dancing and performing ceremonies at their house only two old women were left in the shrine.
She said after Abu had left with his daughter to an unknown destination, the initiators got the news that he has escaped with the girl, the sowies (initiators) went into a searching spree for Abu and his daughter but nowhere to be found.
Sources from Malkiya village say Abu’s action to enter into the ‘bondo’ society sacred shrine has sparked pandemonium and that the sowies (initiators) have vowed that should they get hold of him and his daughter, they will physically and spiritually harm him and his daughter for allegedly committing what they described as sacrilege.
The disappearance of Abu and his daughter is said to have also affected his close siblings and parents, as they were accused of aiding their escape.
Abu’s family house was allegedly vandalized and property worth millions of Leones carted away by the disgruntled initiators.
Report reaching this medium is that immediately Abu’s baby mama and parents learned that he had gone to the shrine to remove his daughter, knowing full well the crime he has committed is unpardonable, they also wasted no time but to secretly left the village to an unknown destination.
At the time of going to press last night, the whereabouts of Abu Bakarr Conteh and his daughter still remained sketchy.