Mohamed Lama Jalloh a resident of Kenema,Eastern Sierra Leone is in trouble with the traditional poro society in the area.
A Social Worker and human rights activist who also happens to be a close friend of Mohamed Lama Jalloh recounted to this medium the strange ordeal that the young man faced while he was living with his parents in Eastern Sierra Leone.
He disclosed that, Jalloh was residing with his father,Wurie Jalloh and his mother Ejatu Jalloh and his younger sisters in Kenema.His father according to him died in July ,2014 as a result of the dreadful Ebola that struck the country.
The family of Mohamed’s, he further stated decided at a family meeting to let the mother married to another man from a different ethnic mende group since his initial husband had died.The step father has another wife and he is a traditional farmer.
Jalloh’s mother late relocated, with his husband at a village at the outskirts of Kenema in a village called Basara.
‘’The step father of Mohamed Lama Jalloh happens to be a very strong member of the Poro Society in the village and it is the custom that very strong and energetic boys residing in the village automatically become members of the society,’’ he noted.
Brilliant,young and energetic Jalloh who was doing extremely well in School whiles his father was alive in Kenema cannot afford to go to school in the remote village together with his two sisters largely due to the fact that their step father was not interested in schooling, he recounted.
While in Basra village, our source continued, Jalloh decided one day to visit another village to watch a football match and upon his return from the village his mother warned him to be careful as poro members have become interested in him joining the society.
As rumours increased that he was wanted by the Poro it became also clear that his mother could not protect him since women are not allowed to talk around such matters.
Around January, 2015, our source continued, Mohamed Lama Jalloh was at his room one night when he heard members of the poro society singing outside that they have come to take him to the bush.
He managed to escape by blowing off the candle light in his room and hide himself on top of the celotex of the house.His step father came searching for him at the room and could not find him.He asked his mother and his mother could also not tell his where about and based upon this his step father was very angry and had to physically assault his mother.
Jalloh remained on top of the celotex of the house until the next morning.The society members danced for the whole night and later left for the bush.
‘’The penalty for refusing to join the Poro society in the area is death’’, our source stated.
After escaping from this ordeal, our source concluded Mohamed Lama Jalloh had to immediately leave the village of Basara for Kenema.While in Kenema he also was afraid that he would be hunted by members of the poro society who in Basara.
He later decided to sell his watch and phone at the most popular park in Kenema (How fordoh) so as to raise money to travel to the neighboring Republic of Guinea.
Our source concluded by noting that the family members of Mohamed Lama Jalloh could not at the moment ascertain his location since his step father is still very much desperate to get him initiated into the Poro society. His mother is currently living in perpetual trouble as she was accused of letting her son out of the hook.She is constantly been molested by her husband and her husband relatives for letting the secret society down.