By Alusine Abubakarr Bangura
PrinceAlimamy Bangura is a born and bred son of Makabarie village in North-west Region of Sierra Leone. He is the eldest and only son to Pa Amadu Fatu of the great Makabarie clan, the supreme head of the Secret society. Prince Bangura’s father was the supreme head of all the secret societies in their clan. He has special powers in deciding matters of secret society. Hewas highly perceived asa human incarnate of the Bangura section for his ability to speak and interpret the language of the ancestors. His powers to speak and interpret the language of the gods, made him so special amongst his colleagues. The culture and tradition of his land banked on male inheritance especially children of traditional heads, like Paramount Chiefs, tribal heads and Secret society heads which Pa Amadu is not an exception to. PrinceAlimamy Bangura being the eldest son to Pa Amadu,was to take after his father’s legacy but it was not disclosed to him. Few years after, the legend and supreme head of the secret societies in the Bangura section, Pa Amadu, passed away on Friday October1stof 2021, a heavy call for ceremonial activities to be celebrated; this was indeed a time for the coronation of a young breed of the land.
PrinceAlimamyBangura,who was the only son to Pa Amadu Fatu, the secret society head of the great Makabarieclan, was born in 2000. He was brought up by his father, Pa Amadu.The Love and care that his father has for himprevented him from acquiring his primary education in Freetown not until he sat to the Basic Education Certification Examination when he was transferred to Freetown to continue his higher education; he was the favourite child to his father which made him the most appropriate child to assume his father’s position in the clan. Prince is very fond of his father, and he is a clear replica of him. In Makabarie, many people called him Pa Amadu Fatu junior because he clearly looks-alike with his father.
Just after the ceremonial activities for the commencement of the burial ceremony, Prince Bangura was called upon to lead the masquerade dance to the shrine which he knew little or nothing about; besides being a student who had acquired western education, hedid not believe such practice.He, PrinceAlimamy Bangura,strongly resisted that he would not subscribe to such practice as his father had never in his life taught him anything about his secret cult nor informed him that he would be the one to take after him.
Interestingly, PrinceAlimamyBangura being a westernized youth staying in the city, he decided to bury his father in a simple and religious way which was totally against the dictatesof society and family members.Shortly after the burial, members of the secret society summoned him to a meeting where he was briefed the tradition of the land and informedhim that after the 40th day ceremony he should immediately assume his father’s responsibilities. He was told that tradition demands he assumed his father’s position immediately after the fortieth day ceremony. However, PrinceAlimamy Bangura strongly rejected the proposal of the elders and he was held hostage in the Poro Bush for three bloody days without food. On the fourth day, he was rescued by one of the guards who secretly frown at such practice. After his narrow escape, he went to the Police division of Dibia Chiefdom Karene District North-West Region of Sierra Leone to report the inhuman treatment meted on him. To his greatest surprise, the crime officer called the Section Chief and informed him that they had PrinceAlimamyAlimamy Bangura in custody, and that the masquerade should come at the station at the time to forcefully collect him.Prince Bangura overheard their conversation and he automatically fled for his life after realizing that everyone in the land is in connivance to initiate him into the secret cult of his father.He took one month in hiding before he got a chance to leave Sierra Leone to country in 2021. In his state of stress and frustration, PrinceAlimamy Bangura went to Guinea and fall in the hands of human traffickers in early 2022. This medium tried its best to get the side of Section Chief but its effort was proved futile. According to an eyewitness, the Section Chief was the one who authorized members of the secret society to hunt Prince Bangura and bring him either dead or alive.
Since then, “PrinceAlimamy Bangura, a young man with great potential is nowhere to be found”, his mother said. Prince’s mother is highly devastated with frustration about the whole situation. According to her, she wished her son would be rescued by good Samaritans and think of not coming back to Sierra Leone for fear of losing him in the sacred hands of Krugbala, a god who smiles to vent anger and calamity on innocent people.
