By Alhaji Turay
Freetown— A community health worker posted in Gondama, Tikonko Chiefdom, Bo District, has gone into hiding after he was allegedly threatened and assaulted by members of the Bondo secret society for advocating against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The health worker, Alimamy Koroma, graduated from the University of Sierra Leone in 2023 with a Higher Diploma in Community Health from Njala Campus. He was posted to Gondama in March 2025.
According to residents, Mr. Koroma has been encouraging parents to avoid initiating their young daughters into the Bondo society, citing health complications and risks to women’s well-being. His campaign is said to have angered local initiators, known as _Soweis_, who allegedly issued repeated threats to harm him if he continued.
Following a complaint from Mr. Koroma, community leaders, including the chief, chiefdom speakers, traditional female society heads, and women’s leaders, held a meeting. Participants reportedly discussed the high rate of maternal and post-initiation complications in the area, including infections and cases requiring surgical intervention.
After the meeting, Mr. Koroma said he was attacked that same evening. He told this that a group of people came to his residence, broke down his door, and assaulted him with sticks. He was later reported to the police for allegedly “tarnishing the female culture” in Sierra Leone. Fearing further attack and possible arrest, he went into hiding.
Community society heads have accused Mr. Koroma of not complying with traditional authority. Some residents have also raised concerns about how the matter was handled, saying traditional dispute resolution mechanisms should have been explored before the situation escalated. Others noted that the incident conflicts with local customs and religious beliefs held in the chiefdom.
Efforts to reach the Bo District Police Division and the Tikonko Chiefdom authorities for comment were ongoing at press time. Mr. Koroma could not be reached for further comment as he remains in hiding for fear of arrest or further attack.
FGM remains a sensitive and contested issue in Sierra Leone. While advocacy groups continue to campaign against the practice, it is still widely performed under the Bondo society in many rural communities.
