Secret Society Attempts To Silence Ramatu Turay

Reports from Kambia, Northern Sierra Leone, reveal that the Bondo Secret Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Turay, over her refusal to be initiated as Sowie Priestess, replacing her Grand Aunt, (Ramatu Sesay) who was the Spiritual Head and Sowie of the society.

According to our source, Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Turay was marked from birth to replace her Grand Aunt (Ramatu Sesay) in the secret society, with the agreement of her entire family, and a covenant entered on same, unknown to her, as she was a child.

Unfortunately, after coming of age, the elders confronted her with the agreement, and she vehemently rejected it, much to the anger of the members, who viewed her response as an insult to the tradition and culture of the Chiefdom, and an affront to the authority of the society. Several attempts were made to get her to conform to the demands of tradition, but to no avail.

According to our source, Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Turay was called to see her Grand Aunt in the village, as she was frail and sick. After some few days after her arrival, while speaking with her grand aunt at her bedside, some members of the secret society came to see the sick woman. Apparently, that was not their true motive. They grabbed and Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Turay and took her to the society shrine in the forest for initiation, stressing that she was to replace her grand aunt as head of the society and needed to be initiated in the rites of that position.

Few days later after her abduction, Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Turay was to be initiated, together with other girls. During the said initiation, 3 of the girls initiated before her bled to death, which created incompetently confusion, thereby creating the perfect opportunity for Ramatu and other girls awaiting initiation to escape.

When news of this situation reached the authorities, the elders in the secret society were arrested on the orders of the President, to know what went wrong. Unfortunately, since the top women in the country belong to these secret societies, the arrested women were given bail, with the police dragging their feet over the matter.

As Society has issued death threats against Ramatu her friend (Rugiatu Bangura was a source and eyewitness of the entire ceremony, and the police were looking for evidence to tie the suspects to the matter, she became the first target for elimination, especially as she had explained her ordeal with some close friends, who had apparently blew her cover.

Our source (Rugiatu Bangura a friend) furthered that the members of the society stormed the residence of one of her friends, in whose house she had passed the night, after escaping from the shrine, but were unable to see her. They threatened to kill her and prevent her from testifying. Upon hearing this threat, Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Bangura, is said to have gone into hiding.

Since leaving her friend’s house, she has not returned and her whereabouts are still unknown. And as we go to press, the whereabouts of Society has issued death threats against Ramatu Turay is still unknown, with no sign of the secret society members giving up on their pursuit of her.