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Police at the Waterloo Division have arrested seven members of the Poro Secret Society at Wallahi village, Tombo in Western Area Rural District.
Police said that their operation was due to report filed by one Ali Kamara of Mamudu Town who said that he was forcibly taken to the initiation bush but clandestinely escaped. The man was said to have bear marks and injuries on his back and other parts of his body. (Ultram)
The seven members of the society arrested together with 11 suspected victims are at current helping police with investigation.
Poro Society was introduced in Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Ivory Coast by the mass exodus of Mane people from the Mandinka Empire (Mali Empire) in the 16th to 17th century. The society was seen as a rite all males pass through to become men.
Some historians have referred to it as the hunting society because inductees were learnt hunting and other military skills.
Human rights activists have called on authorities to place a ban on it because of they believe that a large majority of its members are forced into it. They believe that the rights of young boys are abused through infliction of injuries on their body.
Proponents of the society have defended it saying that it is part of the culture and tradition of the West African nation.
The practice is more predominant in the interior of the country and the discovery of this camp in Western Area, the district that host the capital Freetown seem to be the first in several decades.
Government should know the culture and traditions… human right is and society same way so poro is also a society..both of them should respect others and laws.,I’m not happy as one of society member in guinea gueckedou to hear that my fallow poro members has been arrested…its a taboo ..caution pls papa government… Some things need to be taking easy…. thank you….
Those calling for the ban on poro initiation are myopic in their thoughts. You call for the ban on African cultures but you embrace occultism imported from Europe instead. The present King of England was seen a white male goat which is supposed to have been slaughtered in a ceremony for his accession to the throne. When do we learn?
The point is no one should be forced into the practice.
I don’t know why those poro men are forcing people to be part of their evil deeds? I here, a lot of people are saying that,it is part of our culture. Yeah I understand but you cannot force people to join the poro society, let an individual be willing and accept it. You can force the Carmel to go the stream but you cannot force it to drink. So, therefore, let the poro men stop forcing people into it.I really felt bad whenever I hear about it.
It’s high times we stop being control by these International Communities. These people have no culture nor tradition and they want to tell us how to live.
Our cultures and traditions made us who we are and to just do away with them is a tragedy and will never let that happen. We have to put a stop to their continued enslavement mentality. Let them go back to their people and tell them what to do..
Very interesting report, and this have to be done so fast. If the some of you accept it as your culture then you have to stop forcing people into its. Me to be specific I don’t like that tin(poro), please authorities continue to arest any individual who forces people into there evil practice.
Only in West Africa people are being forced to join traditional secret society in fact if you’re not a member they will humiliate you within the community expecially the tribe I am coming from MENDE to be specific
They should stop force people to join if not let the government place a ban on them please for the peace of country
If you dont drink you will get drunk, dont force someone to drink just to get him drunk. Human right you have the backing of God in this venture.
I don’t believe this really happened that’s not how poro member dressed for ceremony
DON’T FORCE ANYONE TO JOIN ANY SECRET SOCIETY.
Culture or tradition let the person be at age of consent and be willing to be initiated. Period
Let us don’t support evil 👿. This is against the will of God. Culture is man made not God made. The Bible said there is a way that looks right onto a man but the end there of is destruction so culture or no culture is evil and God is angry with this nation for our evil ways or culture practices
This is not a poro society,ask them well they will show u guys the exact name and meaning of it , that’s not the code of dressing and even conduct of poro society,please stop giving a black made to poro
Culture is a way of life. It’s values, customs, norms, beliefs, traditions, that was passed on from one generation to another. Every country has their culture and traditions celebrated annually or on a daily basis.
Am not trying to support the motion that it’s should be ban altogether, but forcibly forcing someone to join you in whatever practice you’re engaging on is totally against fundamental human right. Why not encourage willingness instead of forcefulness. Let the individual be willing to join, and not be forced into doing so. That my father is a member of any secret does not mean I should also be a member. Those days are gone, and surely they will never come back again. The world is of modern era. Come on guys let accept the reality in changing our mindset for a better society and coexistence. If all this secret societies were good then don’t force anyone cos good always attract admiration. Secret societies break us all.
Na we village are see are go get wata fr wash. Me smol broda go tell me say make are nor use d wata wae are go gt fr wash simply bekos me nor join den society. In say if are use am den dae go join me pa den alaki wae den dae do. Hw on earth we go encourage such practices. That’s undone. Leh we change we ideologies en mindset.
If after investigation Dem prove say d wan Dem wae den report say Dem forcibly force da young man fr go do somtin against in will make d law take drastic measures against Dem. They must be jailed. That will set a precedent to anyone who try anything of such.
We need to do something about this piro culture it is disturbing the peace of our people especially in the rural area forcing people little children as well . please help us u leaders
Man should submit to the will of His creator(Almighty God ) from genesis to revelation or The Holy Quran you can’t find the command to join secret societies neither why we should act against the commandments of God and prefer EVIL?
You society is your society. But don’t force me join it.
The posted photos above is not of poro society please, so let them find a name to frame that society. And anyone who talks about banning poro society is not man enough, why can’t u talk of cults that involves human blood and brutal beating of man.
Poro also involves blood rituals. What about all the cut on the face, shoulder, and chest. All the people that join cults willingly do so. Am also a student at College of Medicine and Allied health Sciences, but I’ve never been forced to join any cults. Infact since my admission into the university I’ve never heard from any students discussing anything about cultism. Cults in universities is by the individual willingness and not by force as do poro’s. Let be realistic to our conscience.
Am not in support of imposing a ban on all secret societies, but I’m also not I support of forcibly forcing someone to join any secret society. It against fundamental human right.
Some of you are saying culture is man made, what do you think religion is?
Religion is a culture which is man made as well.
My culture is my religion.
Christianity and Islam are nothing but a tool to destroy your root.
Go and talk to children who don’t know how those religions were spread through brutality, killing in the name of god.
Yes their are wicked practices in our culture but it’s our responsibility to make it safe for life not to abandoned it.
All what is good or nice today did not start as it’s now but responsible human transformed it and make it safe and attractive but we blacks are just foolish opportunists.
Poro society is a very unique one , the pictures purporting to be poro society members in the report is a not part of the poro society. it just a calculated ploy to destroy the name and character of the poro society. My warning to the writer of that report is to pay attention to burning issues in our country . If he or she is not part of it, then he or she knows nothing about it.
Please please if you are not part of it,then forget about it because it is what value us as Africans. That’s why the so-called white want to kill it as they have done it before to our ancestors by disfigurating their brains by accepting to their religion which we are hornouring here as Christianity and Islamic. now they are no longer values it. They that brought it are saying that there’s NO God. If people that have their religion are saying such a thing, and are running after our believes by terminating it through the effort of m human rights. I am not in surport of the forceful initiation of people but let us value our tradition and it cultural practices. It is a festival just as Christianity have Easter, and Muslim, the Ramadan. Please let value our culture, it’s what we as Africans should be proud of rather than thinking to ban it. Mind you traditional practice is inevitable to all man in Africa
Speak for yourself and not the general overview of the populace. I will never in my life be a party to any secret society. I will never support it, neither be a part of it. I choose to lead a normal life. A life that do not intimidate, harass, or forcibly force anyone into doing or partaking into anything that doesn’t suits an individual comfort. If you enjoyed being a part of it then don’t dragged others into your menace. You’re of darkness that’s why everything is secret secret. You better invest in your future by changing your behavior and attitude for the good of you.
Let them face the law
Because they are ritual people
And God will surely judge and punished them all for their evil practice.
Poro must go poro must go poro must go
Because they are evil people.
If what they are doing is good, why are they forcing people to join them.
Everything about poro is revenge.
The Bible which is the word of God clearly condemned all secret initiations in Philippines 3:2. So let there be a band on all secret societies.
Stop jeopardizing your culture and follow those who enslaved your for fathers forcing them to join their culture, kill them unnecessarily, treat them like animals, yet you are still happy. Have this, He who killed your parents always want to enslave you.
No body has the right to force another person to join something which he or she doesn’t like
Why are they forcing people to join them for? That’s not good. Papa government please help us to stop such art.
When people are talking of enslavement what is the poro doing does it give freedom to people or can you please show me the development it has brought to Sierra
I know it is tradition, but let’s don’t support some tradition because it is not acceptable in the sight of God.
It is only freetown surrounding areas such thing will happen but if it was kenema,Bo,kailahun,Kono no police or soldier will bring such nonsense to the society
The truth of the matter is that, God is against such practice’s, and that’s why he gave man choice that we should decide either to follow his word which is the Bible or satan the devil and all the secret society, but let us know that for every choice there’s a consequence, all those involving in secret society are of the devil satan, because his work are evil and hated the light, and such practice’s they shall not see the kingdom of God.
The Bible or whatever was part of colonial weapon to us.
Let the law prevail.
This is pure rubbish is part of our culture why should they ban it
Let’s the government ban by forcing someone to join that’s all
Culture is culture no matter condition is we have to give respect to what our forefathers have practice. I can understand, most of the commenters are not part of the system therefore they will opposed it so the government have to be wise in handling issue.
We all of us know that,poro is one of the culture in sierra leone,but let people not used force to dose that are not interested.