The Paramount Chief of Nieni Chiefdom in the Northern District of Koinadugu has been accused of suppressing, intimidating and harassing opponents especially sub-Chiefs who didn’t support his candidacy in the January 2024 Paramount Chieftaincy elections.

“Immediately after he was declared the winner and Paramount Chief of Nieni Chiefdom, the Paramount Chief has been using the Local Court to harass us,” Sheku Jalloh, a resident of Sawuria village said.

“As I’m talking to you now, we have been forced to leave our village and family. The Court Chairman has threatened to arrest us because of a charge the Court says is “Incitement and provocation against a sitting Paramount Chief,” Ibrahim Jawara, also a Sawuria village resident said.

Sheku Jalloh and two others have left Sawuria village and are currently living in Yifin at the time of this interview for what they say is for their safety.

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The three men and others complaining of harassment said they weren’t supporting the current Paramount Chief during Nieni Chiefdom’s last Paramount Chieftaincy elections.

During investigations, some sub-chiefs in the Chiefdom have also complained of being harassed and suppressed by the Chief and his followers. According to a letter from the Office of the District Officer of Koinadugu District dated 26th June 2024, several Section and Town Chiefs in the Chiefdom were queried for what the letter says is gross insubordination and disrespect to the Paramount Chief. In separate interviews with our medium, the Chiefs said they are being targeted by the Paramount Chief using the District Officer in Kabala because they supported one Robert Yirah Koroma, the Chief’s main challenger in the last election.

PC Foday Manso Koroma was controversially elected Paramount Chief of Nieni Chiefdom in January 2024 but many observers and residents described the elections as not credible.

Nieni Chiefdom held its Paramount Chieftaincy election in 2022 to replace the last Paramount Chief. Though Robert Yirah Koroma was believed to be the winner, it surprised many people after the authorities announced a date for fresh elections but this time not in Yifin town, the Chiefdom headquarters of Nieni Chiefdom. The decision to hold fresh elections especially when it doesn’t take place in the headquarters created speculations and suspicions. But the authorities argued that the 2022 elections were having too many controversies and violence was reported.

Surprisingly, the 2024 elections that brought Chief Manso Koroma to power were also bloody like the last one. During pooling day, gunshots were reportedly fired in Simbaria village, the venue of the election. Most of the chiefs and tribal authorities said they weren’t allowed to vote. Chief Manso Koroma was later announced the winner after most of the tribal authorities who are the electorates have gone to their respective villages, according to a Senior Section Chief who pleaded anonymity.

“The elections were conducted fraudulently and were marred by irregularities,” Foray Kamara, Section Chief of Yarasude Section said.

Responding to the allegations, Paramount Chief Manso Koroma said those making the allegations are lawless citizens who want to undermine his leadership. The Chief said Sheku Jalloh and the others from Sawuria village did not respect his leadership since he was elected Paramount Chief.

“They have been making provocative language against me. For them, I’m not the Paramount Chief and they are saying they would never respect my leadership,” the Chief said.

As Paramount Chief, he said he would never allow people to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of the Chiefdom. Immediately after the elections, Chief Manso Koroma said he has called on everyone to turn a new page and forget about the past. But, PC Manso Koroma said several people wanted to take the law into their hands which he said he would resist.

Responding to the query letter of Section and Town Chiefs, the Paramount Chief said he reported the said Chiefs to the District Office in Kabala because they refused to answer his call. On several occasions, he said he had sent for the said sub-Chiefs but they refused to answer his call. It was the reason he said he reported the matter and they were queried because their action shows disrespect and insubordination.

The last Paramount Chieftaincy elections have left a divided Nieni Chiefdom. Many people in the Chiefdom said they won’t recognize PC Foday Manso Koroma as Paramount Chief because the elections that brought him to power were marred by irregularities, fraud, intimidation, and political interference. According to residents, the current Paramount Chief is not the winner of the election but was politically forced by people in the corridor of power. The Paramount Chief is the uncle of the National Secretary General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and the current Deputy Minister of Mines.