By Musa Paul Feika
Justice Augustine K. Musa, a High Court Judge of Sierra Leone currently presiding at the Pademba Road Court No.1 since the inception of Judicial Week in Freetown has remanded the head of Gbagbani, Baimba Bangura, at Markeyta Village and three others at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown for murder.
The accused, Baimba Bangura, Borbor Mansaray, Santigie Kamara and Saio Mansaray, were alleged of inserting Gbagbani stock called “Konto” stick, which they believe have mystical powers, into the victim, Iye Sesay’s vagina, which led to her demise.
The incident occurred on 1st February and 16th February 2020 at Markeyta Village in Bombalili district, the North-East Region of Makeni.
Led in evidence by state counsel Yusuf Suliaman Koroma, prosecution witness (PW) 1, Detective Inspector Amara Munu, formerly attached to the Homicide Syndicate Unit at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road in Freetown, now at the CID Central Police Division in Freetown, highlighted his duties, which include investigating and prosecuting matters.
He said he knew the deceased, Iye Sesay, as well as the four accused, adding that on 5th February 2020, he was on duty at the Homicide Syndicate at the CID headquarters in Freetown when a case and enquiry file of conspiracy and murder from the Eastern Regional Office was brought to the said unit for further investigations.
Mr Munu added that the case file contained witness statements, the four accused’s voluntary statements, police report, photographs of the scene of crime and a Gbagbani stick called “Konto”, which the accused allegedly inserted into the victim’s vagina, which subsequently led to her death.
They were produced and tendered to form part of the court’s records.
Inspector Munu detailed the court that he, the first accused, and five police officers who are members of the Gbagbani Society visited the crime scene at Markeyta Village, adding that upon their arrival, the first accused pointed out to them the Konto stick he admittedly inserted into the victim’s vagina leading to her demise.
‘When I attempted to take the stick, he (the first accused) told us that the stick had mystical powers…he himself was afraid of touching it.
‘I then took photographs of it and I wish now to produce and tender them in evidence,’ PW 1 told the bench.
The witness said they proceeded to the crime scene for the first accused to show them where they buried the victim’s corpse, but he refused to do so, on the grounds that the Gbagbani devil had devoured or eaten her.
‘At the crime scene, they saw a scarecrow clothed in the victim’s clothes to show that she had been devoured by Gbangbani devil,’ Mr Munu disclosed to the court.
Detective Inspector Munu rounded up his evidence stating that on 2nd June 2020, he charged all the accused with conspiracy and murder, all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
During cross examination by defence counsel Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, he suggested to the witness that throughout his investigations he did not see the victim’s corpse, which he answered in the affirmative.
The accused were denied bail and remanded at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown, while the matter was adjourned to 11th February 2022.