By Alhassan Spear Kamara
A Sierra Leonean by the name of Babah Wagay, who was a former interpreter in a mosque at Kpetewoma village Lugbu Chiefdom, in the southern province, where his father was officiating,is presently in a state of disquiet figuring that at any given time, if trapped down by his assailants, he will kiss his last breath.His ordeal could not be unconnected to the fateful day of 7th April 2017 at 2:00pm when his father was profusely preaching in a mosque during the popular Friday afternoon prayers about awareness issues.
The main focus of his father’s preaching was mankind’s obligation to embrace God and forget about heathen things making particular reference to having no association with the Poro secret society. In the evening hours his father’s home was attacked by some elders of the Poro society and youths. His father waskidnapped, molestedand beaten with the intention of forcefully initiating him. On that same day in the evening hours his father’s house was raided by some of the elders of the Poro society. The fatherwas beaten and met him drenched in blood .He fought his father’s assailants, resisted them and set fire on the Poro bush. The Poro bush burnt down completely.
His plight now borders around his personal safety because as the situation now stands if he is seen in this country he will definitely be clandestinely tortured and killed. Knowing this fully well Wagay sought refuge in neighboring Guinea and has no intention of returning back to the country out of the fear that he will be lynched and ultimately killed.
In traditional Sierra Leone where secret societies are held in reverence and a move to burn down the meeting place of its members by a non-member is considered to be a serious offence for which the offender must punished. They are only open up to members and have laid down rules and policies to which their members must adhere to. Strict adherence and compliance are key to maintaining membership.
For now it is not absolutely certain what will happen to Wagay when he surfaces but from what this medium learnt his life is not currently safe.
