Kambia District # 8th June, 2025#Sierra Leone #A terrifying encounter with the secretive Poro Society has left one young man fleeing for his life and his family under threat, highlighting the ongoing tension between traditional practices and human rights in rural Sierra Leone.
The incident involves Joseph Tommy Kaitibie, who was visiting relatives in a remote village within the Kambia District. During his stay, he was reportedly captured by local youths acting on the orders of village elders and taken to the Poro “bush” for a forced initiation into the all-male secret society a traditional expectation for any “son of the soil.”
The situation turned tragic when, during the initiation rituals, one of the young boys tragically died. Witnessing this, Joseph Tommy Kaitibie and a colleague made a desperate nighttime escape from the society bush, seeking refuge in a nearby village.
This flight for safety, however, has placed Kaitibie in even greater peril. According to sources, his escape from the shrine before the initiation was complete has severely exacerbated his standing with the society. His life is now considered to be at constant risk if he is seen or captured by its members.
The repercussions have extended to his family, who are now facing serious threats from the village elders and Poro society members, who blame them for Kaitibie’s escape.
Confirming the sequence of events, Bai Tenja Sesay, one of the village elders, acknowledged that the death of the boy during the initiation directly led to the flight of the two young men, including Kaitibie.
This case underscores a persistent and deadly challenge in Sierra Leone. Despite national and international advocacy against secret society practices that lead to human rights violations, and the signing of related treaties, many villages continue to cling to these powerful traditions, often with fatal consequences for the youth.
