By Santigie Kandeh Sesay.
Many stories have come to our News desk about the forcing of Young guys to get intiated into the secret Poro Society which is most common traditional practice in North Eastern part of Sierra Leone.
A Sixteen Year’s old Young boy Joshua Osman Bangura from Tonkolili District Magburuka went on holidays to his mother in Koidu Safedu Kono District , where he had a confrontation with a full grown Man who belong to the Poro Society in an attire coffee shop and this Man threatening him that he will ensured that Joshua Osman Bangura face the hell of his life. On the 26th December,2024 Joshua narrowly escaped this year intiations ceremony of poro society at Koidu Safedu Kono District located in the Eastern province of Sierra Leone. This issues unbearable to most Men living in that district and other district beyond.
In an interview with Joshua Osman Bangura, he indicated to this press that ” it is against my fate as a charismatic Pentecostal Christian to join such a sinful secret society (Poro Society), and I don’t want to get involved in it because I have experienced that many people lost their lives during the intiations process and your body will be buried in the Poro Bush without known by your family members or any relation.
The Sixteen Year’s old Young Joshua Osman Bangura further cleared the air that he went to visit his mother in Koidu Safedu Kono District and got a confrontation with a senior Poro society member in an attire coffee shop were he was threatening by the Poro society man . The Poro society ceremony always commence on the festive season on December to early January every year according to discussion with few of his friends who are totally against such evil and barbaric practices. On the 20 December ,2024 in the afternoon hours he was apprehended by some gallants Poro society man and the individual he had an altercation with and they told him that they are going to take him to the Poro Bush for initiation and if he insisted I will be killed just after an hour, another guys slammed at the scenes and I was captured took into the Poro Bush.
Three consecutive days I was severely punished to the extent that I was given a painful cut in my back and my chest and mark with scar’s in my hand also. . At midnight I and two others guy’s narrowly escaped from the Poro Bush . I travelled all night to escape from that particular district and also my country of birth because of the persistent pressure from the Poro society officials.
Speaking with one of the young guys in the Koidu Safedu community , Andrew Lebbie proclaimed that this issues has gone out of hands in this village .I was not willing to join the Poro society but I was captured and forcefully initiated in the Poro Bush. Honestly, I almost lost my life during the twenty days in the Poro Bush in 2023-2024 and three of my close friends lost their lives woefully during the brutal initiations.
The issues of compelling people joining secret society is something the government should really dig into but most top politicians also involved into this devilish practices by charm’s given to them for protection of their body. The government needs to take actions because they are killing the Hope’s of Young guys in those village’s more especially in Kono District. According to the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone section 24 sub section 4 says that “no person shall be compelled to take any oath which is contrary to his religion or belief” But government are not working in accordance with law of Sierra Leone. Members of the Poro society are very powerful and very influential in this country and they can commit hideous crimes and go Scot free and there is no law that covered secret society here in Sierra Leone.
