Manhunt for Abubakarr Turay 27, by members of the country’s most powerful ‘Poro’ secret society is said to have intensified following his alleged illegal entry into the female ‘Bondo’ secret society bush in Lunsar north west region of the Republic of Sierra Leone to rescue his fiancée Ismatu Kamara who was allegedly forcefully taken there for initiation after refusing to replace her late mother as Sowie, a senior hierarchy in ‘bondo’ society as tradition demands.
Her mother died on May 22, 2019 but Ismatu opposed to replacing her late mother, an action that angered ‘Bondo’ society members which they regarded as disrespect and violation of their traditional belief.
It was incumbent on Ismatu to take her mother’s position as the ‘Bondo’ society law demands.
And so her refusal to accept the demand warranted youth from both ‘bondo’ and ‘poro’ societies to descend on her to take her to ‘bondo’ bush for initiation in fulfillment of the tradition.
Her boyfriend, Abu Bakarr who out rightly opposed to the request given his background as a devout Christian, was severely beaten and injured in the process having tried to resist the irate youths from taking Ismatu away.
It is an abomination in Sierra Leone for one to enter either the male ‘Poro’ society bush or the female ‘Bondo’ society bush if you’re not a member, and it’s a crime punishable by forceful initiation or harsher punishment, sometimes death, in case of refusal.
So Abubakarr’s attempt to free his fiancée from the ‘Bondo’ bush was seen by members of both secret societies as blatant disregard to their culture and tradition, hence the need to hunt him down for his action.
Few hours after the incident, precisely at midnight on that fateful day, according to report, Abubakarr braved it out to the bush to rescue his fiancée, and luckily for him, he met her captors heavily drunk and sleeping.
He immediately and hurriedly untied her and both fled to the capital Freetown. On arrival, Abubakarr was hospitalized at the Yagadie Clinic for treatment of his injuries.
Frightening Abubakarr is said to have called his father from the Clinic and explained to him exactly had happened to him.
Meanwhile, Abubakarr’s father’s response even made him scarier when he reportedly told him that he, Abubakarr had committed an abominable offense by unlawfully entering the society bush which requires great consequences and therefore, advised him to be very careful.
Later, when these society members discovered that both Abu Bakarr and his fiancée have escaped, they immediately followed them to Freetown and went straight to Abubakarr’s father’s house but fortunately they were not found as he was still receiving treatment at Yagadie Clinic.
“These desperate society people looted the Abu’s father’s home and threatened that to come back and deal with both Abubakarr and his fiancée,” a neighbor is quoted to have said. Before they left, report says they had already declared both Abubakarr and his fiancée Ismatu WANTED for violation and insubordination.
So they informed Abu’s father that any time they see his son they will torture him to death for violating their tradition and her fiancée Ismatu’s refusal to assume her late mother’s role as ‘Sowie.’
Given this ugly circumstances, his parents, Michael Turay and Haja Isha Fofanah made hurried arrangements for them to immediately escape to a safe place.
Meanwhile, disturbing reports have it that Abubakarr and fiancée were facing difficult challenges from where they had escaped including frequent robber attacks, arrest and detention and intimidation which at one point made them to lose their passports.
Abubakarr’s fate is said to be bleak as he could not think of returning home. Recently, one of Abubakarr’s friends Alie Sesay informed him about the disturbing message his father Michael Turay gave him to tell him that the ‘poro’ society people are still in desperate search for him and that they’re always at their house harassing his family especially his mother Haja Isha Fofanah, vowing that any time they see him, Abubakarr, will pay the prize with his life.
Like their only son Abubakarr, his parents too have reportedly fled their home to an unknown destination in the wake of persistent threat and harassment.
“I have tried severally to reach my parents but without success. I now fear that should I return to Sierra Leone, I will be harmed or even killed by irate members of these secret societies because government will not protect me as they are connected to the government officials,” Abubakarr is reported to have deeply lamented.