A man believed to be in his 70s has been expelled from the group of Bayasi (undertakers) in Kansoe, a community in Namoo within the Bongo District, after he allegedly attempted to poison the son of the head Baya during the funeral of the head Baya.
The suspect, identified locally as Akansinle, is reported to have laced a drink intended for the son of the late chief Baya. The young man, however, declined the drink and poured it away, sensing something unusual. He later informed his brothers of the incident.
When confronted, Akansinle reportedly admitted that had the young man consumed the drink, he would have been buried alongside his late father the next day.
The matter was subsequently reported to the chief of Kansoe. During a community hearing held today at the chief’s palace, Akansinle again confessed to the act. Several residents also recounted past allegations of harmful acts attributed to him.
After deliberations, the chief, clan elders, and youth unanimously resolved to ban him from serving as a Baya and from attending funerals in the community. He was further compelled to swear an oath before the gods of the land, pledging never to engage in harmful acts again.
The decision, according to community leaders, was necessary to safeguard peace and protect cultural practices surrounding funerals and ancestral rites in Kansoe.
