A Malian national, whose cow was butchered unknown to him after it allegedly went astray in the Township of Johnsonville, has threatened to use “spiritual means” to seek vengeance for the killing of his cow.
The commotion, according to report escalated further when the unknown Malian national gathered sand from the community to perform his spiritual rituals, having sworn to kill all those who consumed or participated in the killing of the cow.
Payne Sackor, who claimed that his daughter ate some of the cow meat, told the Liberia News Agency, “They came here. They took sand and said, ‘we will go to Mali and do whatever we can do if those who killed and ate the cow do not agree to pay for it.”
“We are afraid and this threat is no joke. People are confirming that this Malian man is capable of living up to his threat,” he noted.
The cow in question is said to hold great significance to the unknown Malian national, as it provided sustenance and support to his family. Cows, given their size are known to yield substantial amounts of meat and are typically shared within a community rather than being consumed by a single family.
This makes it difficult to determine exactly how many persons may have partaken in the meat from the stolen cow.
According to Sackor, the cow’s owner is now demanding US$1,100 as payment, plus the L$30,000 he allegedly spent while searching for the lost cow. Sackor however claimed that he got information about the cow’s death from his daughter who is just one of the many people who ate the cow.
“We are afraid. They say this man has killed people in Ghana and Liberia,” said Sackor, who is an elderly person, and claimed to be the Chairman of Block D, UPC Community, Johnsonville. “We have been told that this Malian guy has a history of killing people for his cow. And we do not want to die. Lots of people ate this dish, including members of my family.”
The missing cow saga began on Eid ul Adha (Abraham Day), a popular Islamic holiday celebrated annually.
A lady, identified as Fatu, claimed that the incident took place on June 28, when they noticed a strange cow in the community at 5am and tried to calm it down. But their efforts were in vain as the cow exhibited violent behavior, chasing children and other community dwellers.
“Around 5am, we noticed a strange cow in the community so we tried to see how best we could calm the cow. I am a Muslim, and so I knew that the cow belonged to my fellow Muslims.
“We tried to catch it but the cow was violent. A little girl was coming from the fence and the cow started chasing her,” Fatu narrated.
Fatu however alleged that the Cow was killed in her absence by somecommunity boys, who then called her for her share. Worried, Fatu confessed that she and her five children had partaken of the meat.
“I am worried because my kids and I ate the cow meat. I have five children and I do not want anything to happen to us,” Fatu noted.
William Gibson, another community member, reveals that the cow was shared among the entire community, including nearby areas. Although Gibson is unsure of the main culprit responsible for killing the cow, he admits to having received a portion of the cow meat for himself and his family.
He estimates that almost the entire community partook in consuming the cow, acknowledging that even his 11-month-old baby had consumed it. “I just heard that they caught the cow. When I went there, I saw the backbone of the cow had already been cut off. I don’t know the main person that killed the cow,” Gibson said.
“I took some for my family and we ate it, including that of my daughter. I am afraid of the Malian guy’s threat. This is not something to be taken lightly. We are talking about the entire community involved including children’s lives being at stake. Over 150 persons benefited from this cow sharing; some of them are not from our community — that I can tell you for sure.”
Gibson added that when the alleged Malian national showed up, he went to the spot where the cow was slaughtered and “only took sand, some blood splatters, some leaves that people were standing on around the place and other things and left.”
“So, we are worried,” Gibson noted as he claimed that the Malian man has an alleged history of killing people over cows, according to information they have gathered.
Meanwhile, Sackor has revealed that some individuals who consumed the cow or participated in its killing, have already started contributing to the repayment, with US$150 being raised so far.
He claimed that the community is now living in fear, uncertain of the consequences they may face due to unwittingly consuming the Malian man’s cow.
