By Foday Moriba Conteh
The increasing reports of isolated physical attacks on persons found to be gay seem to have no end in sight, as the recent case of Edmond Bangura indicates.
News intimated this medium revealed that in Old Wharf Wellington East End of Freetown, Edmond Bangura, has come under serious intimidation and harassment from members of his family and the community after being caught practicing homosexuality with his male partner in an unfinished building of which both stakeholders and the community youths have mounted a round the clock search for Edmond Bangura who is now declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.
Edmond Bangura who hails from a Christian background and was raised by a Christian Family was not expected to practise this act especially when his family was well known by members of the community as religious people
Both national and religious laws in the country totally forbid individuals from practising such act. Community members were completely disappointed at Edmond’s action, which they noted goes contrary to their customs and traditions.
According to a resident of Old Wharf Wellington, identified himself as a resident of the Old Wharf Wellington East End of Freetown, and who had known Edmond since childhood said he had been very secretive about his sexual orientation since they were early teenagers until he (Edmond Bangura) was caught having sex with his male partner at his partner’s residence by her stepmother, Kadiatu Kamara.
According to an in-depth investigation mounted by this medium, Edmond Bangura who lost her mother at an early age was living with her stepmother Kadiatu Kamara.
On 1st April, 2022 the stepmother of Edmond Bangura caught Edmond Bangura having sexual intercourse with his male counterpart at unfinished building of which the stepmother decided to take the law into her hands together to physically and violently attacking Edmond Bangura and his partner at the place of seeing during the process Edmond Bangura and his partner were fortunate to escape for their lives.
After his successful escape. he tried going home, and he was approach by his friend who informed him about how members of the community including some of his family members are planning to eliminate him because he has not only embarrassed and disgraced them but has also flouted the customs and traditions of the land and going against what the family believes in and as such was described as the black sheep of the family.
This medium also learnt that members of the community were against his lifestyle of which they were pointing fingers at him which nearly led him to commit suicide.
It was also understood that this irate community members stormed the residence of Edmond Bangura based on an intelligence they purportedly received that he has returned to his residence, which in actual fact turned out to be false.
