A young Sierra Leonean lady, Kumba Dauda, aged 20 has attempted to end her own life, police sources have revealed to this medium.

According to reports, residents in Mendekelema village, Luawa Chiefdom, Kailahun district woke up one morning in shock and disbelieve sometime in December 30, 2024 at around 6:00 am when they discovered that Kumba Dauda had prepared poisonous concoction to drink in order to kill herself.

However, a nearby neighbour by the name of Jatu Boima who met her just about to take the mixture; raised alarm that attracted the attention of the Mendekelema village people.

Kumba Dauda was quoted to have explained in tears that the decision to kill herself was as a result of physical and psychological trauma she had endured in her matrimonial home to Pa Kemoh Musa, aged 88 whom she was forced to married to.

She said at a very tender age of 19, sometime in 30 June, 2023 she was forced by her parents to marry the village Town Chief Pa Kemoh Musa, aged 88, for economic and protection reasons, and so, they see the marriage as perfect opportunity for survival and protection.

Kumba said because she was a child and was unable to take decision on her own, yielded to her parents’ pressure and married to Town Chief Pa Kemoh Musa.

Reports furthered that the Kumba suffered in silence since that time and had mooted to some of her childhood friends and peer-group members that she was going through painful ordeals and that if nothing is done to save her, she will one day end it all; because she could no longer bear what she referred to as bondage.

It’s reported that when she realized that nobody including her parents’ and other concerned authorities were of no help, she decided to kill herself.

The Kumba’s case is just one in a series as many others have faced similar fate in Sierra Leone; leading to some of them dropped out of schools, that affects their potentials and the society as a whole, their freedom to Human Rights, whilst others who defied their parents had to escape for fear of being forced to marry.

Despite right activists have mounted campaigns in recent years against forced marriage that led to the enactment of freedom of choice Act, Child Right Act that prohibits forced marriage, unconsent marriage, yet, the practice is ongoing in the country with parents’ defying the consequences.

So, given the problems Kumba Dauda like many others had gone through and realized that nobody is ready to listen to her story that led her to taking such decision, still feels her life remains in danger.