Fear griped residents of Pujehun and Gobaru towns in the Pujehun Distract when news broke out that the remains of Waya Conteh, a 45 year-old resident, were discovered at the Makiebi Stream on Friday August 15th, 2008. Conteh had reportedly absconded on Thursday August 14th, 2008, but was yet to be found.
According to Police Sergeant 3743 Sylvanus Cole, attached to the J Division in Pujehun, during the evening hours of Thursday, Moriba Conteh, the husband of the deceased, reported to them that, his wife, Wuya, had absconded, little realizing that she had drowned in a nearby stream close to his swamp.
Sgt. Cole said because there was no presence of any senior officer at the station to handle the matter, they advised the husband and other family members to continue the search for the missing woman before jumping to any conclusions.
At about 7 a.m. the following day, Sgt. Cole continued, the police were informed that the remains of the deceased were discovered by her son, Amadu Conteh, at the Makiebi Stream. Sgt. Cole said he wasted no time in preparing the postmortem examination request for the doctor to determine the circumstances behind the death of the woman, but the medical report shows that the deceased died as a result of natural cause.
According to police report, the late Wuya Conteh had earlier hired or contracted the services of a local club in Gobaru to harvest their swamp rice, which was persistently being eyed by thieves.
On the day of the harvest, the small wife of Mr. Moriba Conteh, Isatta Swaray, went ahead with the workers to the swamp to start work. At the middle of the harvest the deceased Wuya Conteh arrived in the swamp, allegedly intoxicated with rum.
On detecting the alcohol in Mrs. Conteh’s breath, the Ms. Swaray advised her to return home to get some rest to which Mrs. Conteh consented.
The deceased, according to report, left for her house, not knowing that she had gone to the stream where she met her untimely death.
The husband, who later returned from the Wanjei River, learnt that his wife was nowhere to be seen, and after serious searching, the remains of the woman were discovered at the Makiebi stream between Pujehun and Gobaru.
The remains of the deceased have been delivered to her family members for befitting burial as investigation continues.
By Solomon Rogers