It would appear that criminal activities are resuming the usual trend in the northern district of Port Loko instead of the normal and peaceful way the country is expected to be, after about a year of direct and prolonged battle with the dreadful Ebola virus.
Certainly, this ought to be the general expectation banking on the fact that the virus has not only claimed thousands of useful lives, but has also put a hold on the development aspirations of the President Koroma’s led government
It will be recalled that barely a week ago when one Sheriff Conteh who is currently under a murder case trial at the Magistrate Court in Port Loko for the murder of a 70 year old woman whose remains were discovered in a nearby bush, the Police are again investigating another murder case.
It is interesting to note that these two alleged murder cases are said to have occurred in the same Maforki Chiefdom and within a radius of 10 kilometers.
Incidentally, the victims of these separate alleged murder cases are women. Unlike the 70 year old woman whose matter is now being tried by Magistrate Abdul Sheriff, the remains of the current victim were discovered in a house close to her residence.
Detective Assistant Superintendent Michael J. K Lagga is the Crime Officer at the Port Loko Police Unit where the matter is being investigated.
He said in an interview with the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) that the incident occurred in the night of Tuesday 27th October 2015 and it involved one Fatmata Sankoh.
She was the wife of one Foday Sesay aka ‘Daddy Cut Off’- a driver by profession.
The Crime Officer said the body of Fatmata Sankoh was actually found in a room at 9 Kondaytho Road, the house where a nurse, Kadiatu Sankoh lives.
He said two suspects including Kadiatu Sankoh, have so far been detained to help in the investigations.
According to Detective Police Constable 10623 S K Tommy of the Port Loko Criminal Investigations Department who happens to be the lead investigator in this matter, the report was made to them by Francis George and Mohamed Bangura, both of 54 Lunsar Road in Port Loko.
He said the team of Police Detectives who visited the scene, discovered a quantity of pharmaceutical drugs, a consignment of herbal substances plus some charms near the body of Fatmata Sankoh.
The Officer said further searches conducted by his team of Detectives led to the discovery of a newly dug pitch to the size of a grave.
He said a dead cat, a white piece of cloth, some herbal drugs and firewood were discovered in the grave- like pitch.
The Detective Police Constable said other items including a bone marrow decorated with charms, a knife, a razor and a white piece of cloth with blood stains, were also discovered under a mattress in the room.
Sources gained on the ground seem to indicate that Fatmata Sankoh met her untimely death in a bid to have a child for her husband, Foday Sesay otherwise known as ‘Daddy Cut Off’.
Sources say the two had been together for a good number of years without any offspring.
As a result, she recently became very worried and therefore decided to ask for the services of a herbalist.
It implies that Fatmata lost her life in the process of carrying out the ritual sacrifice for which a black goat was required.
Although the impression given to the police by the suspects is that the actual herbalist fled the scene long before police could arrive, the lead investigator is of the firm convection that the herbalist in their net is the one who performed the rituals on the late woman.
The Prime suspect, he said, is a farmer and had earlier given his name as Alusine Jalloh.
But the Voter Identity Card found in his possession bears the name of Amidu Fullah, a native of Bun-Line /Masiaka in the Koya Chiefdom, Port Loko District.
He has also been identified by his co suspect, Kadiatu Sankoh as a herbalist.