Kenema, October 13, 2020: A former Worker of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), has been declared wanted by the secret Poro Society for what they claimed as a brazing defiance to abandon the society.
We reliably learned that several raids have been conducted on his family and friends’ residences across the township to get hold of him without success.
Tired of these incessant harassments by secret society members, Francis vanished into thin air in 2020 and, his whereabouts unknown.
However, Francis miraculous escape has not stopped the society members from continuously hunting for him.
A bounty has been placed on his head for information leading to his capture.
According to a close family member who preferred anonymity, Francis Koroma’s late father joined him into the Poro Society when he was a little boy and has no sense of consent.
The source went on to state that, Francis used to attend meetings and other Poro gatherings with his late father but stopped attending Poro activities after he had dedicated himself to his religious practices.
“Francis used to tell me that if he was at the age of consent prior to his initiation, he would have turned down his father’s decision of him being a Poro member.
His religious belief is against secret society and that Francis doesn’t see it right to function in any decent Society.” Said the anonymous source.
Another source told this reporter that, Francis’ father, who succeeded Francis’ late grandfather, used to be one of the Gbanikas, “Spiritual Head”, of the Poro Secret Society for the past 20 years and that according to their tradition the position of Gbanika can only be attained through succession, meaning Francis who is the only son of his father must succeed his late father upon his death.
A few days after the burial of his father, members of the Poro Secret society visited their residence and demanded that he (Francis) be prepared to replace his late father as the Gbanika of the society and must undergo a robust initiation ceremony.
Francis’s mother, Elizabeth Garber refused to hand over her son due to the fact that her son is in no way connected to the secret society and she would not allow them to take him.
During the process scuffle erupted between members of the society and relatives of Francis and he (Francis) managed to escape the scene.
According to close family sources, Francis managed to flee Kenema to Freetown and stay with Albert Lansana where he met with Jusu Amara who then helped him to escape the country leaving his 2 kids behind who don’t know his whereabouts on to this day.
Close sources within Kenema revealed that the search for Francis is still ongoing as members of the society are still harassing members of his family to the extent that they have been limited from attending functions in the village.
Meanwhile, family members have resisted all urge to participate in any traditional activities and have also kept their kids away from the Village.
Sources said the family is and rumors have it that they are planning to leave the village for fear of their lives.
It is a serious crime for a member of the Poro society to dissociate himself from the society after being initiated.
Such crime, according to the Poro society, is grave and tantamount to a punishment akin to a death penalty
