By Alim Jalloh
The Poro Secret Society in Nerekoro Village, Kafe Simiria Chiefdom, Tonkolili District,Northern part of Sierra Leone has declared Saidu Kamara wanted on allegation of burning down their secret society bush.
Kamara , a native of the chiefdom with address at 49b Lower Allen town, Ojuku Junction, Western rural district in Freetown is presently on the run after he allegedly burned down the ‘Secret Poro Society Bush’ in his village while refusing to be initiated into the society.
Times SL Newspaper northern correspondent in his report stated that Saidu Kamara ‘father and grandfather were senior members of the Secret Poro Society. His father was alleged to have took over from his father, a custom and tradition which over the years has become a taboo. It was understood that Kamara’s grandfather Pa Gbassay Ibrahim Kamara was alleged to have passed on the ring of leadership to his son Pa Brima Kamara who during his reign decided to also pass on the same ring to his first son Saidu Kamara in his retirement age. Saidu Kamara, according to investigation was also living within the village not until it was time to transfer to Freetown to continue his studies. During the death of his father, he traveled from Freetown to witness the funeral not knowing that there was already plans by his father’s Secret Poro Society to get him initiated.
Few days after the burial, a group of young men dressed in red and white stormed the house and captured Saidu in the evening hours. He was lifted up while the society men where drumming and singing their secret poro society traditional song. This made others around to go into their houses deserting the streets. It is usually part of their tradition to sing in their local language by asking non-society members to be in-doors whenever they want to initiate people. There are have been reported cases of death whenever new converts or initiates are taken to the secret bush but never come back. On the case of Saidu Kamara, he was not in support of this culture and had over the years swore not to join the society though his late father was a leader. He was then taken to the bush to spend the night awaiting rituals in preparation of getting him initiated as the new leader. Whilst in the society bush, Saidu was rescued by a friend who is also part of the society and there he managed to escape. Because of his experience to have suffered serious beating, man-handling and torture as part of the society rules, Saidu decided to revenge. He was alleged to have set the secret bush on fire and then leave the cheifdom. When news broke out of the fire incident, members of the society were worried who might have done that thinking that Saidu was there awaiting to be initiated. They tried to locate the guard whose whereabouts could not be traced and later came to the conclusion that both the guard and Saidu might have conspired to burn the bush.
On the following day, the Secret Poro Society men came out in hundreds drumming with voices of trying to deviour someone. They were singing in local temne ” if seen, he should be our sacrifice to the gods for desecreating our secret bush. Storming the house of Saidu, they discovered he was not around and so they decided to open a search for him .
Saidu and his friend could not be traced up to the time of filing this report.
Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights Groups have over the years been denouncing the operations of forceful initiation of young men by secret societies. There have been lineup cases on that but the police have either refused to arrest or charge to court anyone happens to be a member of those secret society.
Sierra Leone laws as per the country’s 1991 constitution guarantees the right to free movement ,movement of association and the likes but customs and traditions have over the years been seen to violate those laws. Religious leaders who should take the lead denouncing such harmful practices are also members of these secret society. The central government is always in support of the secret society with the fear that going against them could lead to voting apathy in those villages.
Meanwhile, both Saidu Kamara and his friend have been declared wanted and if seen the possibility of their existence can only be determined by the gods whose punishment for such acts is death.
Times SL will continue to follow this story