By Alvin Lansana Kargbo
The Poro Secret Society threat to Alhaji Alex Jalloh has escalated into a life-or-death crisis, placing the young man from Magbema Chiefdom in Kambia District, Northern Sierra Leone, in imminent danger. Family members and eyewitnesses say members of the Poro Secret Society have intensified a coordinated manhunt to capture him alive and forcefully initiate him. The threat surged dramatically after developments linked to his late father’s position in the society and the death of his uncle, Abdul Aziz Jalloh, a senior Poro figure who died on 10 June 2025.
Family members explain that the root of the crisis lies in tradition: Alhaji Alex Jalloh is the first son in his father’s biological line, making him the automatic successor to any role his father once held within the Poro Secret Society. His late father, who died years ago, had occupied a significant and respected position within the society, a responsibility that custom dictates must pass directly to his eldest biological son.
For years, Alhaji Alex Jalloh’s fragile health and his absence from the community delayed this expectation. During that period, his father’s biological brother, Abdul Aziz Jalloh, temporarily assumed the responsibilities associated with their father’s former role. His leadership created a buffer that shielded Alex from immediate pressure.
But when Abdul Aziz Jalloh died on 10 June 2025, that buffer was abruptly removed. Family sources told this news medium that senior Poro Secret Society members immediately renewed their focus on Alhaji Alex Jalloh, insisting that he must inherit the role because he is the first biological son in his father’s lineage.
By this time, however, According to what was gathered Alhaji Alex Jalloh was out of the country by that time.
The pressure quickly shifted to his family. According to close friends, eyewitnesses and family members, Poro Secret Society elders intensified their intimidation of those he left behind. The threats became so severe that his biological brothers, Ibrahim Jalloh and Mohamed Jalloh, were forced to flee the settlement to avoid being abducted or used as leverage to force Alex out of hiding. Their escape left behind only women, who now endure constant intimidation.
Eyewitnesses from Magbema Chiefdom describe repeated nighttime visits by Poro Secret Society members demanding that the family reveal the whereabouts of Alhaji Alex Jalloh or “face consequences.” The women have endured threats, surveillance, insults and relentless fear.
One sister, speaking through tears said, “We do not know where Alhaji Alex Jalloh is. But the threats keep coming. They say they want him at any cost.”
Friends close to Alex reveal that his outspoken condemnation of the Poro Secret Society; especially its practices of ritual killings, human sacrifice, the drinking of human blood and the consumption of human body parts, is a major reason he is being hunted. He vowed never to submit to rituals involving violence or death, a stance that deeply angered the society’s elders.
Eyewitness accounts confirm that the Poro Secret Society has activated its networks across several districts in search of him. Family members say the society has vowed never to relent until he is found, raising fears that any attempt to capture him could result in his death.
The ongoing manhunt for Alhaji Alex Jalloh, the disappearance of his brothers and the continued harassment of his family has now become a serious human rights concern. Everyone who spoke to this medium including family members, eyewitnesses and close acquaintances affirmed that the threat facing him is real, coordinated and immediate.
