Police and senior members of the Poro Secret society have launched a man-hunt for Emmanuel Sahr Khani, who killed his uncle, Komba Khani in the village of Kaima Sandor Chiefdom, Kono District in the Eastern part of Sierra Leone.
According to report, Komba met his untimely death after he persisted that Emmanuel Khani be initiated into the secret society against his will. The whereabouts of Emmanuel is currently unknown as he narrowly escaped after killing his uncle, but his immediate relatives are currently being harassed with his Aunty detained by the police for a month.
According to the country’s law, Emmanuel is bound to face life imprisonment if apprehended and charged to court for murder.
The Sierra Leone Police has placed a bounty for whosoever reveals the whereabouts of Emmanuel Khani for prosecution in court.
Poro Secret Society, though horrific, is an acceptable way of life in that part of the country. Where It has been practiced for centuries.
Emmanuel Khani’s father, who died years ago, was a member and one of the founders of the poro secret society in that part of the country and tradition demands that one of his sons should replace him until the dies fell on Emmanuel, who was earmarked as a suitable replacement.
But, Emmanuel who has accepted Christianity and now a fervent Christian, according to family sources, vehemently refused to be initiated into the Poro Secret society, a decision his uncle firmly stood against, stating that the young man has betrayed a family tradition.
Emmanuel is among a few numbers of youths who have opposed to the secret society but unfortunately for him, his family lives in a community, where the practice of secret society is very common and young men are usually forced to be initiated.
After he escaped, leaders of the poro secret society declared him wanted and subsequently launch a man hunt for him Emmanuel Sahr Khani cannot be the one to expose our entire secret to the outside world and he cannot be exempted from joining our society. We will make sure that we hunt him and teach him some lessons,’ said one of the youths who was sent out to search for him
Reports are that several youths have lost their lives to the society and members usually get away with any impunity they committed.
Last year, some youths disappeared in that community and authorities did nothing about it because all of them are members. Even the police cannot arrest members because most of them are members and cannot betray their culture.
Before civilization, young men in that part of the country were initiated into the Poro Secret Society as a way of making them strong for warfare.
The initiation has long been practiced and any attempt by young people to refuse being initiated lands them into trouble and they can even be killed with no question from even the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Away from Emmanuel Sahr Khani’s initiation story, his life within the community has been marked by severe discrimination due to his affiliation with the LGBTQ community.
