By Abdulrahman Kamara
Reports coming from Kenema, Eastern Sierra Leone states that a teacher and Staff Secretary of the SOS Children’s Village in Freetown, Lawrence Foday Musa and an Educational Officer in the same institution, Johnny Will, were caught red-handed on Friday 12th February 2021 having sex in a bedroom in the house of the uncle of the teacher at 12C Line, New England, Nyandeyama section, Kenema city.
As the visibly shocked uncle raised the alarm, a crowd gathered to teach the two men a lesson, but as both men escaped through the back door of the house, they were pursued by the angry crowd. Lawrence Musa is said to have entered a nearby bush and had since disappeared, whilst his partner, Johnny Will, escaped on a passing commercial bike.
According to family sources, Lawrence Foday Musa had been living at 55E Nas Carew Drive, Off Wilkinson Road, Freetown, and working as a teacher at the SOS Children Village in Freetown. It was also disclosed that his late mother was privy to his sexuality and had advised him against such, but he had not taken her advice and had continued with his gay practice. Other family members said they had no knowledge that he was gay, not until the uncle discovered him with his partner in the act.
The uncle is believed to have had an idea about his sexuality from his late mother, but it is not known whether he took it serious at all, as he had no news or inclination that he was still gay. He is said to have kept the story told to him by the late mother about her son and had denied knowledge of same for fear of being dealt with when the matter came to the fore.
Speaking under conditions of anonymity, a close friend of the family said that the uncle disclosed that both Lawrence Musa and Johnny Will visited him in Kenema and told him that they were there to enjoy a carnival in the township. He furthered that the uncle also disclosed that he was at home when both his nephew and his visitor returned from the carnival, and that both had different rooms. He explained that the uncle furthered that when he began hearing groaning from one of the rooms, it was then that he decided to cross-check what was going on, and to his utter shock, he met Lawrence Musa and Johnny Will in the guest room, stark naked, having sex. Lawrence Musa, it was explained, left his own room and came to the guest room where his friend was and both then got engaged in the act.
It was further disclosed that the uncle raised the alarm, which saw neighbours and other residents in the community converging at the residence, determined to show him that such practice is an abomination and a complete disgrace to the family, community and manhood in the country, and an illegal practice that is a taboo in both religious faiths in the country. Eye witnesses say that the suspects escaped through the back door of the house, and when that was made known, they were chased by the crowd. Lawrence Musa is said to have escaped through a nearby bush, with youths in hot pursuit, whilst his partner, Johnny Will, escaped with the help of a commercial bike passing by.
Meanwhile, the Police was alerted and an arrest warrant has been issued for Lawrence Musa, with a bounty on his head for who finds him, as the matter is an offence against the state and punishable by long term imprisonment. Despite the warrant of arrest, community members are said to have threatened to kill him if they find him first before the police, as his existence has been likened to a disgrace to their tribe, region and the nation.
Investigating further from residents around the house of Lawrence Musa in Freetown, it was confirmed that he had been seen on several occasions with Johnny Will, who they described as a Liberian working in the same institution with Lawrence Musa. They also confirmed that police officials had raided the home of Lawrence Musa, but were unsuccessful, as he could not be found and his whereabouts since then is not known. As we go to press the whereabout of Lawrence Musa is still unknown.
According to the laws of Sierra Leone the practice of same sex is a taboo and illegal. Both Religious faiths in the country view the act as satanic and should not be encouraged in the country. This mind-set has dictated the fate of anyone caught in the act, thus it is not uncommon for the suspect to be lynched and the police turn a blind eye to the incident. It is believed to good riddance.
