Report from Kailahun has on 3rd November 2022 revealed that one Mattu Amara, a mother of four had some disagreement with her husband, Lansana Koroma of Mendekelema in the Gbombalay Section in Luawa Chiefdom in the Kailahun District.Reports indicate that due to persistent quarrels over an alleged new girlfriend, Mattu moved away from her matrimonial home for nine years and stayed with her elder sister, Sia in Nyandehun, a mile away from Kailahun.
According to reports since the start of November this year, the Sierra Leone Police personnel attached at the Nyandehun Police Post told Mattu that her husband has informed them that their rice farm was due for harvest and wanted her to join him to carry out the harvest.
Mattu initially expressed misgivings over the genuine nature of the invite extended to her by her husband based on the fact that her husband’s alleged concubine is now permanently stays at her matrimonial home.
Through the intervention of the Police, Mattu in the early hours of Thursday 3rd November 2022 went to Mendekelema, and upon arrival in the village, she was attacked by Jammie Sinneh, the concubine of her husband, and two other relatives, Lucia and Silikie, who were backed by her husband Lansana Koroma and rained motherly invectives on Mattu, to which she replied in like some.
Sources continued that a team of four reported a case of the use of abusive language to the village Chairlady against Mattu, whom was summoned for explanations.
While explaining, the same group of four went and reported the matter to Chief Lahai Josiah, the Section Chief of Gbombalay in the Luawa Chiefdom.
Information gathered from the community are that Chief Lahai then also summoned Mattu to answer to the same charges, not knowing that it was a ploy for dastardly acts to follow.
During interrogations by the Chief a large crowd of Bondo women suddenly arrived at Chief Lahai’s residence and demanded that he hand over Mattu to them because she has committed an offence that warrants hearing in the Bondo shrine.
Mattu states that she held the hand of Chief Josiah and begged him not to release her to the aggressive crowd of women that demanded to mob her.
Chief Lahai reportedly pushed Mattu’s hands away and the Bondo women physical attacked her, started slapping her with impunity in the presence of the chief.
The Bondo women reportedly undressed Mattu and dragged her to the Bondo shrine, where they inflicted severe torture on her.
Explaining her ordeals in the hands of the Bondo activists, Mattu revealed that that Bondo women lit and burnt cigarettes on her face. She said a senior sowei/initiator, Nancy Nyandewa shaved part of her head with a machete. She said other women scratched her skin with coarse plants that inflicted wounds all over her body.
The beating and torture continued with all sorts of harmful items all over her body in a way that she has never seen before.
Reports say a woman told Mattu in the shrine that the punishment was receiving was just the beginning of things to come.
They also allegedly inserted pepper into her vagina and pushed sticks laced with all sorts of concussions including hot burning pepper into her vagina.
They further told Mattu that they will eventually drain her blood and use it for rituals, kill and dispose of her corpse in the river bed after diverting the stream, digging a hole, bury her in it, and redirecting the stream after her secrete burial so that nobody will discover the whereabouts of her corpse.
Mattu was reportedly rescued by a sowei who forcefully took her away from the aggressive Bondo activists and she returned home in Nyandehun unconscious.
The Bondo women again chased Mattu to her home on Friday morning and urged the Bondo women in Nyandehun to mete out their share of punishments on her for allegedly flouting society rules.
Report states that Mattu’s elder sister, Sia Amara, took her to the Nyandehun Police Post, where an initial statement was obtained from her, before taking her to the Kenema Government Hospital.
Report also stated that ASP Junisa demanded NLe100 from the family of the badly battered Mattu Amara before he obtained statement from her.
A team of Police investigators visited the village less than two miles from Kailahum and met the alleged perpetrators but no arrest was executed.
The Police advised the victim’s family to settle the matter amicably out of Police.
Feeling helpless and disappointed about the inaction of the Police, Mattu’s family appealed to well-wishers to help them save the life of their sister and also seek justice for her.
Report furthered that due to the loud silence of authorities on the case action against the perpetrators, they attempted to snatch Mattu away from the Kailahum Government Hospital on the 7th and 8th November 2022. However, the vigilant leadership of the Kailahun Government Hospital and other activists including staff of the One-Stop-Centre vehemently frustrated their dastardly act from taking place.
The matter was initially reported to Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay, Director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), for her urgent intervention.
The AIM boss, as usual, wasted no time to strategize and send in an experienced fact-finding team of activists and professionals from Bonthe and Freetown who joined their colleagues in the district that uncovered the heinous nature of torture and gross human rights abuse meted out to the poor woman.
The AIM team went alongside the Head of the Eastern Region Human Right Commission Mr. Tom A. S. Sandy.
The team reported the matter to the Local Unit Commander, Kailahun Police Division, Chief Superintendent of Police, Issa Kamara. CSP Kamara shifted gear from no action since the incident took place, to making three arrests out of the huge number of known perpetrators.
There has been mounting tension with the sighting of several women converging to the hospital for none health – related issues.
The family of the victim, mindful of threats against Mattu Amara in the hospital pleaded with AIM for support to evacuate the victim to a safer location to access advanced medical attention.
The medical doctor accepted and acted on the request of the family members.
AIM then immediately facilitated the evacuation of the victim to Freetown where she is currently responding treatments.
A local Non-Governmental Organization in the district, Kailahun Women in Governance and AIM have jointly funded a month tentative support for the upkeep of the victim, her children and a caregiver.
LUC, CSP Kamara has so far made three arrests including the husband and two other women, with continuing investigations as LUC CSP Kamara has vowed to get to the bottom of the alleged torture and conspiracy to commit wounding with intent.
AIM profusely thanked personnel of the One-Stop-Center, Dr. Juana and his team, the Regional Director of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, the District Coordinator of Office of National Security, Women in Governance and Civil Society Organizations for their collective teamwork in the life-saving venture.
AIM in a press statement issued emphasized that this is the beginning of a long-drawn battle to put an end to torture and cruelty meted out by women against their compatriots.
