By Septimus Senessie in Kono
A 35-year-old village headman of Yorwabu village in the Nimikoro Chiefdom, Kono District, eastern Sierra Leone, was allegedly “attacked and killed” by a group of wild chimpanzees.
Chief Komba Koagbanda had set out to enquire whether it was true a report he had had that some chimps had earlier chased one of his sisters away from a nearby stream where she had gone to fetch water.
His grief-stricken brother, also a village headman of Tingbor, Chief Saffa Sababu, told Politico that the deceased was killed because, as the only man at the time the woman came back without water, he needed to have gone there to prove that his sister was not being unnecessarily afraid.
He said the only eyewitness, a 5-year-old boy whom the deceased had asked to come with him, confirmed the incident and said they saw over fifteen chimps.
The boy told the village, a small settlement of about seven houses, that he had to run to the next village after what he saw. He explained that the deceased had almost succeeded to drive away the chimps by wielding his machete when suddenly one of them attacked him from the back and the rest followed.
“I rushed to the next village, some two miles away, but before they could come to help the chimps had already bitten the man to death and torn his flesh apart. Even his bones were broke,” the boy was quoted as saying.
Section Chief of Nimikoro chiefdom, Richard Fears, described the incident as unfortunate but also very serious, adding that: “if the chimps, which medics say may have the Ebola virus, begin to attack people, it raises a serious concern,” he said.
He added that similar reports of chimps attacking villagersin that part of the chiefdom were rife but had never been treated seriously.
Chief Fears said out of fear the whole village had moved to seek refuge to other nearby villages while at the same time police at the Motema division had dispatched armed personnel, with assistance from local hunters, to help restore calmness in the area.
He said the remains of chief had been handed over to the Ebola burial team for burial.
The Supervisor of the Operational Support Divisionat Tankoro and Motema in the district, Chief Superintendent Aiah Nehwa, advised the ten-man personnel “to do all they can to restore trust and confidence of the people in the community while carrying out their normal activities through the protection of lives and properties.”
© Politico 19/02/15
