Tension is reportedly mounting in Bumpeh Ngao Chiefdom, Bo District, Southern Sierra Leone, following the controversial installation of Mr. Alfred Fayia Sundifu Brima Sovula, son of former Inspector General of Police Ambrose Michael Sovula, as Paramount Chief.
According to reliable sources, the move has been described by members of one of the ruling houses as a “forceful and politically motivated installation” that violates the long-standing traditional procedures governing chieftaincy successions in the chiefdom.
Dissatisfied members of the Gbandoma ruling house alleged that Mr. Sovula does not belong to any recognized ruling family and therefore lacks the customary legitimacy required to occupy the paramount chieftaincy throne. They claim that their own candidate, Chief Moses Sakpa Gebio Gbekpa, is the rightful heir based on lineage and traditional merit.
The family of Chief Gbekpa, who said they feel “bullied and cheated,” alleged that certain officials in President Julius Maada Bio’s government orchestrated the installation to favor the former police boss’s son. They accused the authorities of ignoring both due process and cultural norms, insisting that the act has deeply divided the chiefdom and trampled on their traditional rights.
In a statement made to journalists of the Central Base Journalists Sierra Leone (CBJ-SL) network, the aggrieved family members appealed to President Bio and First Lady Fatima Jabbie Bio to intervene urgently, describing the incident as a “betrayal of justice” and a source of growing discontent among the people.
They further alleged that the Attorney General’s office lifted a court order that had previously halted the coronation process, paving the way for Mr. Sovula’s installation without reconciliation or consultation with the contesting ruling families. According to their account, senior officials from the Ministry of Local Government reportedly attended the ceremony and justified their action as an “Order from the Above.”
Community members have vowed to continue seeking justice and to resist what they describe as the “imposition” of a non-traditional ruler on their people.
As of press time, efforts to obtain a comment from the newly installed Paramount Chief Alfred Sovula proved unsuccessful.
