Hannah Macauley, a resident of Campbell Town, Waterloo, Western Rural District of Freetown, reports the state is currently on the run after refusing to be initiated into a secret Soweh society. Madam Macauley who lives in the rural district of Freetown is presently on the run for fear of being captured to undergo forceful initiation and has also been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.
Sowei Society is a secret female society with mystical powers. They belong to a clan where women are forced to undergo Female Genital Mutilation. Part of their duty is to always ensure young girls are initiated into the Bundo Society, a tradition they strongly believe girls must go through before attaining the stage of puberty. There are reported cases of death among some girls who were forced to be initiated into the Sowei and Bundo societies.
There are also cases of some girls who were taken to the society bush for such ceremony but never come back alive. This has caused serious panic within the women folks and the majority now believes that traditions of such nature with harmful practices should not be tolerated.
When Madam Macauley was captured to be initiated she fled the bush and ran to an unknown location. There and then, the Sowei Women declared her wanted. Her house at Waterloo was under surveillance by the police who are also working in collaboration with some of these secret societies. She could not be traced or seen.
In another development, just a few days after the said incident, a group of religious people stormed the community looking for the same Hannah Macauley. According to them, her offense was that she belongs to a Lesbian club who have been recruiting young girls, and, they consider such a sin before God and Man. Therefore, they have declared she wants to be captured dead or alive. Sierra Leone is a signatory to International treaties and conventions that guarantee the rights of citizens to belong. The country’s 1991 Constitution also guarantees the rights of citizens movement, the right to live and belong. This has been the concern of some civil society organizations in the country.
Lesbian and gay people have no place in Sierra Leone. They usually face public embarrassment, stigmatization, and death threats.
However, the Sierra Leone Police in their wanted list of persons declared Hannah Macauley wanted on allegation of indulging in same-sex which is a crime in Sierra Leone. Therefore, the police have put out a notice declaring Hannah Macauley wanted. According to the public notice, citizens are encouraged to give relevant information that can lead to the arrest of Hannah Macauley. A bounty of ten million leones which is equivalent to five hundred United States dollars has been placed on her head and for anyone who can give information that can lead to her arrest.
It was learned that Hannah Macauley at the time of the police release was alleged to have left the shores of Sierra Leone in February 2021, the same month she was declared wanted.
Times SL is investigating…