By Newman Anthony Levey In Bo.
Residents of Gherihun Village in Baoma Chiefdom, southern Sierra Leone, have protested the alleged planned return of three Section Chiefs whom they accused of involvement in ritual murders.
The villagers took to the streets last Friday, June 12, in anticipation of an impending visit by the Resident Minister East, Mohamed Ali, whom they believe is working towards reinstating the chiefs.
The villagers say the community has been plagued by a lot of ritual murders. About a year ago they decided that enough was enough after the alleged attempted ritual killing of a young boy.
The boy lived under the care of one of the Section Chiefs, Ishmael Koroma, whom the villagers say was behind the act, in collaboration with fellow Section Chief Sam Ganda.
Koroma, Ganda and another chief were forced out of the village after riot broke out in response to the disappearance and resurfacing of the boy.
Last Friday’s protest was prompted by a planned visit by the Resident Minister as part of efforts to discuss the issue.
The aggrieved villagers gathered at the Gherihun Court Barry, bearing placards with inscriptions such as: ‘We want Justice’ … ’No More Ishmeal Koroma’ … ‘No Ganda’ … ‘Stop the money rituals in our village’… ‘Killings everywhere’ … ‘We know your club!’ … ‘Stop, stop, and stop!’
Mohamed B. Koroma, Baoma Chiefdom youth leader, told Politico that they were aggrieved that they haven’t seen any justice coming to the community despite all the atrocities.
He said their disappointment and frustration mounted after a local court dismissed the case against the section chiefs in the matter of attempted ritual killing, for want of evidence.
“As I speak, the poor boy is not normal now. We will not allow the Resident Minister South and other authorities to impose section chiefs on us, because they have failed to look into the mysterious death and missing of Pa Sorie Kargbo. We are coming up strong and those things that were happening here, we are not going to accept it anymore in Baoma,” he vowed.
Due to the protest, there was heavy police presence in the village on Friday.
The Resident Minister declined to comment when contacted by Politico. He said he was preoccupied by the COovid-19 pandemic.
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