27 year old Mohaned Bangura of Sanda Magbolontor village, Karena District is desperately being hunted by traditional leaders and enraged community youths after being caught red-handed in homosexuality, which is a forbidden act in the Muslim dominated locality
Bangura, has also received death threats for committing what the community describes as an act of sacrilege. He was caught having sex with his male partner in his family house on Friday, September 11 2015 after a year-long accusation of being bisexual by his fiancée and had since then disappeared and his whereabouts remain unknown
Expressing grave fears over the death threat issued against his nephew, Bangura’s uncle who prefers anonymity for fear of being persecuted talking to the press, revealed that a traditional leader who visited Bangura’s father at his residence raised an alarm after seeing Bangura and his male partner stark naked having sex in the outside room of his home on that fateful day
The news led community youths brandishing knives and cutlasses to rush into the house but they narrowly escaped mob justice from the irritated extreme religious Muslims as they made their escape through the window and fled into a nearby bush before the crowd arrived, and since then, they have not heard from either of them
According to his uncle, both the youths and traditional leaders have vowed to let them pay duly for their acts of sacrilege much like others who had been mercilessly beaten with life-threatening injuries, whenever they set eyes on them since they do not compromise such act that tends to defile their religion
Some community residences say they have been suspecting Bangura of being involved in same-sex activity within the community long before he was exposed. The community and religious influences are strong as both come from backgrounds that traditionally condemn same-sex relations.
Sadly, according to the uncle, Bangura’s life has now been put on the line since his father who is also a traditional leader and an Imam has given his approval for his son to be treated severely since he now lives in shame within the community
