After participating in 48 killings, jungler seeks forgiveness

Omar A. Jallow, a member of the hit-squad (killers) known as junglers initiated by former Gambia president, Yahya Jammeh, in his second appearance before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), on Wednesday admitted participation in the killings of 48 people including the strangulation of Baba Jobe, former strong man of the Alliance for Patriotic, Reorientation and Construction (APRC) and 30 Ghanaians.

 

Jallow made these revelations in his second appearance before the TRRC chaired by Dr. Lamin Sise and thus sought for national forgiveness.

He said he also participated in the torture of three imams (Islamic leaders in prayers) and also the execution of the nine death row inmates, which was ordered by the former president, Yahya Jammeh in August 2012.

“We were told by the then prison director David Colley, the Interior Minister Ousman Sonko and Justice Minister Babading Jobarteh to get the inmates from the prison, who included Tabara Samba, the only female,” he confessed.

Witness said they were dressed in masks for the assassination, and led by the then Justice minister, prison director and Interior minister.

“At the prison gate, the ministers opened the gate and we got in, collected the victims in a vehicle and headed to Lance Corporal Bojang Range at night. Upon our arrivals, we alighted all the victims and covered their heads with nylon bags and strangulated them to death. After killing them, we took them to the bush and threw them inside well.”

He revealed that the members who took part in the assassination were: Major Nuha Jarju, Cpt. Momodou Jarju alias Rambo, Lt. Mustapha Sanneh, Lt. Michael Jatta, WO2 Fansu Nyabally, Staff Sgt. Malick Manga, Amadou Badjie, Corporal Saikuba Jarju, WO2 Modou Busso, Staff Sgt. Lamin Sambou and Buba Jarju.

He also confessed that he took part in the killings of two Gambian Americans named Ebou Jobe and Mamud Ceesay, who they believed were to over throw the former President Yahya Jammeh’s government.

“It was at a night when I was called at our base in Kololi. I met Major Nuha Badjie, Staff Sgt. Malick Manga, Momodou Jarju, Sgt. Sulayman Ndow, Lt. Mustapha Sanneh, Lt. Michael Jatta, WO2 Fansu Nyabally, Pa Sanneh, Sgt. Amadou Badjie, Staff Sgt. Sulayman Badjie and Couple Saikuba Jarju, and we were told that former President Yahya Jammeh ordered the killings.”

Witness continued that they took the two victims with their monies from their lodge around Brusubi to Jammeh’s residence at Kanilai, where they were ordered to be butchered into pieces. He added that they took them to Jammeh’s garden and assassinated them by separating their necks from their bodies, and buried them. The operation was led by Solo Bojang, he narrated.

He confirmed playing part in the death of former Chief of Defence Staff Ndure Cham, saying he was killed by an order from Jammeh and was led by the then chief of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Yankuba Badjie. He explained that he and Malick Jatta covered Cham’s head with a nylon bag on their way from the (NIA) training ground in Tanji, heading to Brikama till he died and his body was buried at Foni Santamba forest. He added that the operation was also led by Solo Bojang.

“Our group also killed Mustapha Colley a former soldier who was dismissed,” he confessed. “We took him through a ‘town-trip’ to our base in Kololi and killed him there.”

He explained that after killing him, they took him to Jabang village near the NAWEC station and sat him in his car and left.

Explaining how Baba Jobe was killed, he confirmed his contribution, saying that Jobe was finished in his hospital bed at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul.

“Our team also killed Sulayman Ndow and Ma Hawa Cham who were reported to have planned to bring down Jammeh’s government. We met them at a lodge in Ziguinchor in Cassamace, Senegal, where they were brought into Gambian territory and executed.”

He said after the mission, Malick Manga went to Senegal and gave 250, 000 dollars to one Senegalese intelligence officer who was working for Jammeh as a token of appreciation.

On 22nd September 2016, the witness disclosed that Tumani Jallow, a soldier who was alleged to have burnt the APRC Bureau and alleged Senegalese rebel leader Abdoulie Gaye were killed, ordered by former President Yahya Jammeh.

He said the two victims were handed over to them by the NIA led by Sheikh Omar Jeng.

“We had two groups and my group killed Tumani. I was in the group with Pa Sanneh, Momodou Jarju alias Rambo and Saikuba Jarju, while the other group killed Gaye. The other group comprised of Sulayman Sambou, Lt. Michael Jatta, WO2 Fansu Njabally and Malick Manga.

He said on their way to Kanilai around Bonto, he ripped a rope on Tumani’s neck and pulled the rope with Saikuba Jarju till he died.

“After the execution, Sana Manjang led us to one of Jammeh’s gardens where we buried them.”

He revealed that Mariama Camara, a bodyguard to ex-president Yahya Jammeh, who was believed to have died after a skirmish with her husband, was believed to be have been killed by Yahya Jammeh after the husband claimed she was impregnated by Jammeh. 

Author: Pa Modou Cham