According to reliable sources, Princess Lewis Macauley formerly of Bo Town, Bo District in the Southern Region of Sierra Leone is now on the run fearing for the safety of her dear life after she was declared wanted by women of the dreaded Bondo Secret Society because she refused to be initiated as a Sowe of the influential Bondo secret society to succeed her mother, Mrs. Adama Lewis as the head initiator of the society as tradition demand.
Preicess mother Mrs. Adama Lewis, a Female Circumciser (Sowei) of the female Bondo Society, and her father Mr. Matthew Lewis, is a Town Chief (Traditional Leader), so Princess being the first daughter with two male siblings at Semabu Jong, Bonthe District. That was why her parents want her to take over from them.
It is common knowledge that among other barbaric practices, the women of the Bondo Society normally circumcise young women and girls by circumcising their clitoris, as they put it, “cleanse the women and reduce their sexual desires.”
Princess is also accused of being engaged in the campaign against the female genital mutilation that the Bondo Society women practice on young girls and women.
According to a female relative of Princess Lewis Macauley, who does not want her name to be stated for fear of reprisals, Princess Lewis Macauley’s troubles began around 2006 when her parents with other female circumcisers listened to one of her radio broadcasts with Children Forum Network (CFN)
advocating and raising awareness against the harmful practices of FGM, while she was a teenager.
She further explained that as the only daughter of a sowei bound family, Princess Lewis Macauley was automatically expected to be initiated as the next Sowe after her mother, thus she was forcefully initiated to the Bondo Society against her wish.
The woman disclosed that since Princess was forcefully initiated into the Bondo Society, she has went through several complications most recently one the obstructed labour she had while she was tried to give birth per vaginally in 2022. She has refused to have anything to do with the Bondo Society, noting that Princess was very unhappy that she was chosen to succeed her mother, a decision she refused to accept which, according to tradition, is an abomination that can lead to the death of Princess.
When this Reporter requested for her to lead him to Madam Princess Lewis Macauley for an interview, she stated that she did not know her whereabouts after she was tortured by the Bondo society members which led to her forcibly flee from her matrimonial home for the safety of her life and her son, she was declared wanted by the Bondo secret society in late December 2024 this has led to her disappearance from the community and has neither been seen nor heard from since.
She also disclosed that she has information that unidentified people continue to visit Princess’s house in the late night hours, making threatening remarks that they will kill her the day they see her, due to persistent threats from society members, some civil society members and the office of the human rights commission did try to coil down this unfortunate situation but to no avail.
She concluded that the Bondo secret society women have a very organized network all over the country and that they have all been alerted about the abomination committed by Princess against the society, and they will not rest until they find her and kill her to cleanse the society of the abomination.
When this Reporter attempted to conduct an interview with the Bondo Society women, he was informed that nobody would speak with him and that if he continued to pursue the matter, he would not be pleased with the outcome.
Dennis Turay, Administrative Head at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said FGM is not a prohibited practice in Sierra Leone and that the practice has been part of the country’s history. He said such matters are tricky to deal with, as secret society leaders usually do the unthinkable to protect their culture. He further stated that the government can’t track them because those barbaric acts are usually done in seclusion without their knowledge and the resulting crime will hardly be heard by anyone.
Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa and it can sometimes end in tragedy. FGM involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, often focusing on the clitoris.
The United Nations Population Fund has documented the practice in 92 countries, but it is most prevalent in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
In countries like Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti, a form of FGM called infibulation is practised where the labia is removed and then used to almost completely seal the vaginal orifice, leaving a small opening for urine and menstrual blood. When woman marries, they must be cut open before they can have sex.
There are no health benefits to FGM. The World Health Organization warns it can lead to urinary, vaginal, and menstrual problems, as well as complications during childbirth and death.
In Sierra Leone, it is estimated that 83% of women and girls aged between 15 and 49 have undergone FGM. โ<This message was edited>
