Youth narrowly escaped

By Abu Sesay

Alusine Kallay, 20 years old and others of Mabolleh village, Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, are reported to have narrowly escape forceful poro society initiation in the late hours of 26 December 2021.
According to eyewitness who prefers anonymity, Alusine after closure of schools decided to go on holiday in his village where he and his friends were allegedly forcefully taken by poro society men for initiation.
Alusine was to have been initiated as head of the poro society in charge of the youth in Mabolleh community, a responsibility he never wanted in his entire life.
The eyewitness explained that, there was an annual poro society competition among neighboring villages, during which dozens of youth were forcefully initiated into the poro society.
Our eyewitness furthered that no sooner Alusine entered his village the head of the poro society Pa Yamba wasted no time but to approach Alusine’s uncle whom sources say was in support of his initiation into the poro society, though his mother was alleged to have been in total disagreement of the said deadly initiation.
Our eyewitness informed that Alusine’s uncle gladly gave permission for onward forceful initiation of Alusine.
Our eyewitness said that Alusine and his friends were busy sensitizing their colleague youth on the dangers of secret society to youth, in the evening hours, when a group of poro society men came and forcefully took them into their initiation bush for poro initiation.
The eyewitness further informed that while Alusine and his colleagues were in the poro society bush awaiting initiation, fighting broke out between Malal poro society group and Mabolleh poro society group.
The eyewitness narrated that the fighting led to the destruction of lives and property worth millions of Leones.
The eyewitness noted that while the fighting was going on Alusine and some of his colleagues quickly dashed into the nearby bush and took to their heels.
Sources say when the riot ensued, youth of the various poro society groups violently destroyed society shrine of Mabolleh village and a 19 year old man was allegedly killed by the rioters.
According to our eyewitness, when the poro society men realize that Alusine and some of his friends who were seen in the destruction of poro society shrine have escaped, they searched the entire bush but couldn’t find them.
After the news broke out about the disappearance of Alusine and his friends from the initiation shrine, the section chief made an announcement that the youth of the village should find them and bring them back to the society bush for initiation as according to the chief Alusine and his friends have desecrated and caused the destruction of their society shrine, accusing them of committing a sacrilege.
Village sources hinted this medium that Alusine and other youth were previously accused of involving in homosexual activities in the village.
The angry society men were reported to have vowed to kill Alusine and any of his friends spotted.

Contacting the Makeni police station, Sergeant Ibrahim Koroma informed this medium that, after the sudden disappearance of Alusine Kallay and others they conducted a search in the bushes but unfortunately they couldn’t set eyes on neither him nor his colleagues.
Family members interviewed stated that they are deeply terrified and didn’t expect such to have happened to their loved ones.
The whereabouts of Alusine and his friends is still unknown.
investigation continues.