Issa Mansaray Escapes Death At Hands Of Secret Society

By Thaimu Thullah
Reports from Kabala, Northern Sierra Leone reveal that Issa Mansaray, a resident of the town, narrowly escaped death in the hands of the most dreaded Secret Society in the region.
Issa Mansaray is said to have been abducted by members of the secret society on allegation of bringing disrepute to the society after he and his brother, whose whereabouts are unknown, took the society to Court on allegation of killing the brother’s wife. Since the brother disappeared from the village, the members of the secret society targeted Issa.
On one fateful day, they abducted him and took him to the society shrine in the forest, where he was tortured and on the verge of being killed, when he managed to escape with the help of a friend, who is said to have also since fled the village.
According to our source, who spoke to this medium on the basis of anonymity, Issa Mansaray’ s sister-in-law was murdered when she accidentally met the Secret Society performing in a bush road from a nearby village, unknown to her that the society will be performing in that area. She was then captured and beaten to death and her corpse dumped on a pathway used by villagers.
This unfortunate incident led Issa and his brother to seek legal redress, as the Chiefs refused to take any action. The Court is said to have refused to hear the matter, referring it to the tribal authorities on the grounds that it is a complicated matter that hinges on the tradition of the people in that region. It is not uncommon for such matters to be turned over to the tribal authorities by the court, as it is a taboo for any court to adjudicate on Secret Society matters. Furthermore, many officials in government belong to these secret societies and believe that adjudicating in such matters will expose the secrecy of the society and incurr the wrath of the Gods.
It was further revealed that after the failed legal action by Issa Mansaray and his brother, members of the secret society harassed the two brothers and threatened to kill them. Issa Mansaray’s brother is said to have disappeared from the village after several attempts on their lives. Unfortunately, Issa was unable to, and was speedily abducted and taken to the society shrine. Since escaping from the society shrine, the members have vowed to find him, as any non-member of the society that sees the shrine of their deity will not live to tell the story.
Friends and family members spoken to say that since Issa left the house on that day, he has not returned and feared dead. They declined to further discuss the matter, except to inform this medium that it is forbidden to discuss Secret Society matters with non-members.
As we go to press the whereabouts of Issa Mansaray are still unknown.