Margibians in Fear

Margibi citizens are reported to be completely living in fear as a result of public declaration by the County’s Police Chief, Superintendent Augustine Leo Warrie about the inability of the police to provide security. Police authorities have urged them to ensure their own security.

Superintendent Warrie, according to reports, made the statement recently on one of the community radio stations in the county, following series of complaints from the citizens about ritualistic killings in the county.
But he has since denied the claims and said he only told citizens to be very mindful amid series of complaints forwarded to the police about dead bodies found in various communities. He said the police are yet to see any of such corpses, adding that the citizens’ claims were all based on rumors.

Our Margibi County correspondent said there’s still news of the discovery of dead bodies in areas of the county with parts abstracted. According to him, many people in the county now go to bed as early as 7pm because of the fear of being caught and killed for ritualistic purposes.

A 29-year old girl, who claimed to have been saved from ‘hearten’, also buttressed claims of the presence of corpses with parts missing. Fatu Holder – a resident of Wenneh Town Community and a senior student of the Barkolleh Nursing School in Kakata, while explaining her misfortune on September 17, 2015, indicated to our correspondent that while on her way from school at 7:30pm, she noticed a motorcycle parked by a swamp with no eider.

After a while, according to her, she saw two men sitting on the porch of an unfinished building, adjacent to the swamp – one of whom verbally recognized her by name, but she did not turn back to see the caller because of fear.

Ms. Holder indicated that as she went further, she remove her slippers in an attempt to run from her life, but was immediately followed and attacked by two other men sitting on the porch of another unfinished building.

According her, three of the men dragged her into a nearby bush and prevented her from shouting, while the other watched out the main road to ensure that no one saw them. She further explained that while tussling with them, one of the men allegedly pulled a long knife in an attempt to kill her, but his colleague told him to use handkerchief, instead, to suffocate her to death to avoid alarm.

At that movement, she forcefully removed the handkerchief from her mouth, and shouted the name of her neighbor identified as Daniel Dolo, who further alarmed other neighbors for her rescue, while the man on the watch signaled his colleagues to escape.

“I am informed that when I left the health center, some other guys visited the area asking for me; and the security on guard asked them why were they were asking for me, but none of them could give any reason for their visit. He immediately went to call the nurses and upon their return, the men were already gone,” She noted.

Fatu urged the County Administration and various security apparatus in the County to institute measures to address the wave of ritualistic activities in Margibi. Another report has it that a 17-year old boy narrowly escaped from some unknown men while taking his bath by his residence.

The men reportedly covered his head with the bucket, while he shouted and the men escaped. Recently in Weala, Margibi County, it was reported that three dead bodies – with parts missing, were found in market. They included a boy and two girls.

The Head of the general Market in Weala told reporters that she was informed about the incident on a Saturday, but did not go to the scene, adding that others visited the scene. According to her, the bodies were later taken away by unidentified people.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. from Margibi County -Edited by Othello B. Garblah