After killing of father…
Daughter narrowly escaped forceful initiation
By Unisa Conteh
Elizabeth Gabriel,a Creole by tribe is reported to have narrowly escaped death from the hands of irate ‘wonday’ society men in Panguma Chiefdom, Kenema district.
According to eye witness account, Elizabeth Gabriel on the 15th October, 2008 visited her family after staying away from the village for some years now.
Our eye witness revealed that immediately Elizabeth arrived home, she was asked by her family members why she decided to visit them at a time everybody was trying to flee the village because of rampant forceful initiation of men and women into the Wonday and Sanday secret societies.
The eyewitness maintained further that during the time Elizabeth arrived at the village, the forceful initiation of men and women was at its highest pick.
Our sources say, Elizabeth, her siblings and father after revealing the present situation of the village, they attempted to escape at night to nearby big town, on their way, the wonday society group halted them in the middle of the bush, Elizabeth and her siblings were allegedly set aside while their father, Emmanuel Joseph Gabriel was asked to join the secret society.
Our sources maintained that, Elizabeth’s father vehemently refused to join and openly opposed the forceful initiation of people, it was at this juncture he was scolded, his hand chopped off and mercilessly stabbed to death.
According to our sources, just after the killing of her father, Elizabeth was allegedly raped by some of the society men.
Our sources say, as if that was not enough for angry society men, they later handed over Elizabeth to the society women who forcefully cut off her clitoris, a process they described as ‘Sanday’ initiation.
Our sources say, Elizabeth, after her clitoris had been cut off, a day after she managed to escape to an un known destination.
Village sources say the society men and women searched the entire bush for Elizabeth, but unfortunately they couldn’t find a trace of her.
At the time of going to press last night, the whereabouts of Elizabeth remained sketchy, as we are monitoring the situation.
