In a shocking incident that has sent shockwaves through the religious community in Sierra Leone, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone (PFSL) has penned a heartfelt letter to the Minister of Social Welfare, Melrose Kaminty, exposing a series of sacrilegious acts, property destruction and attempted arson.
Dated September 27, 2023 and bearing the signature of PFSL’s President, Rev. Bishop Akintayo Sam Jolley this distressing incident unfolded at The Gateway Evangelical Church, a member church located in Kissy, Freetown, adjacent to Hotel 5/10, on Sunday, September 24, 2023.
The PFSL’s letter to Minister Kaminty detailed a grave concern for the Church of God and the Body of Christ in Sierra Leone. The PFSL President highlighted the significance of this event, citing recurring skirmishes over the years that pose a substantial threat to the nation’s peace and security.
The incident was allegedly orchestrated by an individual identified as Alpha Bangura, embroiled in a land dispute with the church over a piece of adjacent land. Bangura, who was accompanied by a group of thugs, wreaked havoc on the church property and equipment causing losses worth millions of Leones.
Moreover, they physically assaulted church members, poured gasoline within the premises, ignited tires in an attempt to set the church ablaze, and even targeted an amputee church member.
The terrifying episode forced other churchgoers to scramble over the fence into the neighboring Hotel 5/10’s compound, with some of the assailants reportedly brandishing machetes and dressed in military attire.
Perhaps most distressingly, the PFSL’s letter revealed that the Holy Bible, the church’s most sacred text, suffered partial burning and desecration. The perpetrators tore and scattered pages of the Holy Bible within the church compound and along the path leading to the edifice. In a particularly disturbing turn of events, a young girl using the restroom was attacked, and her beads were cut, suggesting a sinister intent.
Alpha Bangura, the alleged mastermind, went a step further by issuing threats to burn down the pastor’s residence, putting the lives of Apostle Amos Lelleh and his family in jeopardy.
The PFSL’s letter expressed deep concern about the incident’s potential to spark religious unrest, emphasizing the gravity of desecrating the Holy Bible. Alpha Bangura reportedly boasted about wanting to see such unrest unfold.
In response to these horrifying events, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone vowed to stand unwaveringly as an umbrella body for Pentecostals across the nation. They urgently called upon Minister Kaminty’s Ministry, along with other relevant authorities, to ensure that justice prevails and that the perpetrators face the full force of the law. The PFSL emphasized the importance of safeguarding their freedom, respect, and the constitutional right to worship freely in Sierra Leone.
Copies of the letter were sent to several high-ranking officials, including the Secretary to the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Secretary to the Vice President, the Ministers of Internal Affairs and Western Area, the National Security Coordinator, the Chief of Defense Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, and the leadership of the Gateway Evangelical Church, among others.
Sierra Leone awaits a swift and just response to this shocking act of sacrilege and violence, as the nation grapples with the aftermath of this deeply distressing incident.
