October 2022-Sierra Leone-Information reaching this medium has stated that activities of Secret society in some part of Sierra Leone continue to be forced young men and women into hiding and running away from place of birth and their country of origin. Despite continued sensitization on the harmful effect of secret society yet in most parts of Sierra Leone young men and women are still forced into secret society initiations.
The latest development was in Kambia, where one of its inhabitants, A 16-Year-Old Boy Dulman Bangura, was forced to flee.
Dulman Bangura narrowly escaped death from the poro bush after refusing to take his late father’s position in the Poro bush. The report further states that Dulman, as he is commonly called after a forceful initiation in the poro bush was also told to play his late father’s role which make it unfit for him to escape from the society bush.
According to information, Dulman is currently on the run after he was forced to accept the role of his late father but smartly had to escape from the hands of his initiators.
The men poro secret society is part of the Sierra Leone tradition and cultural norms and when a strong member of the society passes away, his elder son should replace him as tradition demands. Based on this, Dulman was eye marked by the elders since he was now a grown-up and was asked to take up his father’s position in society bush.
Reports says that Dulman Bangura and his mother were in their late father resident at night when a set of men from the secret society marched straight into their compound demanding that Dulman Bangura must go with them.
During the scuffled, Dulman’s mother, a disabled woman was push to ground and her son was forcefully taken away with societal men chanting initiation chants.
But as faith could have Dulman manages to escape from the hands of his capture. This happened in the second phase of his initiation. It was alleged that during that period, he (Dulman) was expected to fully take up his father’s mantle, late Pa Abu ( paroke) in the society bush. it was also learnt that two of his colleagues died in a mysterious circumstance, while the initiation of young boys was taking place.
At first, there was news about Dulman death, but later news came in that he had escape and to an unknown destination.
Other Key members and stakeholders in the town said that it was good that the young man fled from the traditional society, before he took up his father position or else he would have been a dead man by now just like the other boy.
Due to compelling inductions of the Poro Society, it had always caused the death of innocent young men in the country.
What is more of concern about thew poro society is that is the fact that some of the stakeholders are part of the Poro Society in the country including Politicians, Police, military personnel and many more serving as active members.
As we go to press Dulman has not been found and nobody knows his whereabouts, while his disabled mother was also maltreated in his absent.
