‘Poro’ society is currently a big threat to the lives of young men in Sierra Leone through forceful initiation, ritual murders and kidnapping schemes.
Many young men have fallen victims of the dangers associated with the cult except those who run away from their communities for safe havens, most times, outside the country.
A Sierra Leonean, Mohamed Sillah also faces similar situation as he is being hunted by ‘Poro’ members who have vowed to initiate him so that he can replace his late father.
Mohamed Sillah, a resident of Makeni town in the Northern region of Sierra Leone used to visit his relatives there spending days and sometime a week with them. His father who was a senior ‘Poro’ member passed away on 10th September, 2021 and was buried 17 days later.
In the following month of the same year, some family members including his brothers requested to see him in the living room.
They all went there and one of the family members informed him that he was to succeed his late father in the ‘Poro’ who held a top post in the society during his lifetime.
Mohamed Sillah rejected the request saying he had no interest in any cult.
The family members however came for the second time and refused them and in third time they came with the ‘Poro’ members who forcefully took him to the bush where he was held for days.
The captive, Mohamed Sillah was forced to drink water from human skull and also exposed him to horror and danger scenes.
It was during the second day of his ordeal, the 28th February, 2021 that one of the ‘Poro’ members helped him to escape from the country with his wife, Isha Sillah.
At the moment, he faces death threats from the cult members who are in search of him in any part of Sierra Leone including neighbouring countries.
Centuries ago, ‘Poro’ was a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood: young initiates were trained the art of warfare and the use of herbs to cure different ailments.
Knowledge acquired at the ‘Poro’ bush was very important prior to the advent of Western education.
In modern times, however, the society seems to have deviated from its traditional role of training and education evidenced by reports of ritual murders and kidnappings for sale of human parts.