Young Man flee forceful initiation into secret society
By David Johnson
Relatives of Sahid Bangura, a young man in his twenties has been forced to flee his village and his country after he was forced to join the Poro secret society for men.
The young man who escaped from Lungi, Port Loko district, in December 2019, is nowhere to be seen as search for him continue. According to report, the latter and father died after a short illness and societal members were accused of his death. Not long the mother of young man also feel ill and also died.
During the burial members of the secret society visited the house and demanded for elder brother to be initiated and take over the place of his father who was a member of the secret society.
With this notice to the family, the young man decided to flee the village at the slightest opportunity that came his way.
Late in the night while most people were almost asleep, Sahid woke up and escaped through a bush in the night and traveled erstwhile.
A close friend of Sahid had informed this medium that the latter was defiant to be part of a society that they alleged some people who go through it do not survive. In sierra Leone in general and Port Loko in particular, it is difficult to see grown up men who do not belong to a traditional society and also it is impossible to be a traditional chief or sometimes a honorable member of parliament without going through a secret society.
The Poro society is a very popular traditional secret society that is known in Sierra Leone, West Africa and it has majority of the country’s political and traditional authorities. It is widely believed that people can be forcefully conscripted without any court action by the victims due to the fact that 50 to 55 % of the male population are members.
There are reports that Sahid is not dead but made his way to an unknown destination just like some other boys who were threatened by traditional society members.
In general, every member of a society must also make sure that their male children also be part of it. This is done to maintain the tradition as generations yet unborn are expected to follow the same trend.
Meanwhile, any persons whose name is on the list to be enrolled into the society cannot have any other option but to accept or abandon the village for a lifetime.
One cannot seek redress in any court under the traditional law. Like female genital mutilation which is common among women in most parts of Africa, the Poro is the replica. Just like the manner in which young girls are forcefully conscripted, the Poro is no exception.
Most young girls are also suffering from similar acts from Bondo women who conduct female genital mutilation on young girls despite international efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation.
The whereabouts of Sahid is still unknown as not even other relatives or friends knows his whereabouts.
