Dragon Embarrasses Sinkor

Another recent gem from that monumental institution of journalism that is the New Republic Liberia, is this report from last week of a Dragon, which sounds a lot like a wooden figurine, discovered to be cursing a house in the 12th street community, Sinkor. The story doesn't exactly go anywhere from there, but that's sort of the point—that the below could be the subject of a group of people's panicked investigations, resulting in a published newspaper report. Again, I quote in full, emphasis mine:

Witches and wizards are humans and their missions are devilishly diverse, so to speak. They are jugglers who maneuver in all forms, be it at night or day, to pursue destructive courses. Some develop images used to carry on cherished depravities against others. Juju, dragon, voodoo are symbols of evil crafted by man to get at their targets. As they do, others are standing up to them, challenging their powers and exposing them in broad daylight. 

Residents of 12th Street in Sinkor last week witnessed one of the frightening happenings when a "man of God" dug out what is said to be a juju planted by another resident. Reporter Bedeskoe M.N. Tumbay, reports A well-crafted man-like wooden image apparently developed by "wicked ones" to torment their targets, was brought to light last week in the 12th Street Community of Sinkor, sending shocking waves of apprehension down the spines of residents. 

Residents awoke to a very disquieting and scandalous noise concerning the discovery of the incredibly fearful wooden image tied with black thread and cowry shells, soaked in concoction and planted in the soil, at the window of the home of the one of the community residents. 

It was an occurrence akin to an outbreak of instability as some residents whisked to the scene, and others, especially residents closed to where it was dug, took to their heels.The carefully crafted wooden image was said to be uncovered by one Pastor James Baryogar of the Holy Church of Christ in the Jobah Community following a tipoff by one of his members. 

The "man of God" told this paper hours after the discovery of what the residents referred to as "dragon or traditional medicine," that he had been invited by one Elizabeth Bedell, a member of his congregation a day before the Thursday he showed up. 

Upon his arrival, he said, he discovered that something had been planted at the back of his congregant's house. He did not say whether the woman who invited him was aware of the presence of such there, but noted he was called by her after she has seen his performance in one of the many communities he has been working for years. 

"The image resembling a carved wood with four cowry shells neatly designed and striped around the body with a humanlike-face was tied in a black cloth with strains of black thread that looked incredibly fearful," he said. 

"I have been doing this since 2006 when I opened my church and can move from place to place discovering medicine and dragons in every part of Liberia; so this is just one of the many things I have discovered and presently I am on my way to another area for the same job." 

He said the woman had complained that she has been sleepless nights, with nightmares, snakes and other evil spirits tormenting her in the day and at night. 

"When I told Madam Bedell that there was something planted by her window, she and the occupants in the house did not believe it, but after we started digging, I realized that the medicine left the ground and entered the ceiling," the pastor said. "I further told them that I was going after it and at that moment, it left the ceiling and came back to its normal position where it was planted." Asked as to how he got it, he said "I poured holy oil and water on the spot and it got weak and I later pulled it out to the amazement of everyone." 

The Pastor Baryogar further said the "dragon" has been embarrassing residents of the community for a long period of time and has even led to the death of a child from the same house. 

"It has been in the yard for a long period. Last year, it even killed the grand daughter of the owner of the house; it can to take on many forms, sometimes it changed to a lizard, snake and even crab, it also changed to a naked nightmare taking the form of an old man having sex with her in dream," he said. 

According to the Pastor the alleged dragon has also been living on blood of the people in the house and other community dwellers, stressing it always disturbed occupants of the house and the community at night. 

At the same time, Pastor Baryogar who burnt the "dragon" minutes later, has accused one Kollie, the owner of the house of being the mastermind of the dragon. "The old man who owns the house is aware of it because he is the owner who hosts such tenant and two of them were in the deal, and if it was not by the grace of God, by now all those in the house would have been dead," he noted. 

Ironically, Madam Bedell who invited the "man of God" to the house happens to be wife of the owner of the house, that is accused Kollie. Explaining her ordeal, she said she experienced strange sounds at night which prevented them from sleeping for a protracted period of time. Like Madam Bedell, several residents of the community complained of enduring sleepless nights for months and that they heard sounds of moving animal and other creature in the community.