Witness says former President Jammeh and Solo Bojang brand him as killer

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By AWA SECKA-JAWARA

Mustapha Fanneh, a native of Sika, Upper Niumi district, North Bank Region residing at Sintet, Foni Jarrol, West Coast Region informed the TRRC that former President Yahya Jammeh and his former aide Solo Bojang called him a killer.

He said Solo also accused him of being the worst among cruel marabouts who kill people in the area.

He further testified that he was given a concoction to drink and later Solo Bojang took his phone and called Yahya Jammeh who told him to put his phone on loudspeaker so that all that he was going to say about him would be heard by all.

The witness said former President Jammeh called him a killer after hearing Solo Bojang calling him a killer.

He said that he can no longer go to the farm for work due to inhuman treatment meted out on him by ‘witch hunters’ in 2009.

He said he has been to Kanilai twice to work for Yahya Jammeh and during that period we had tractors and some other farming implements.

He said Sintet was unanimous in compliance with only one directive from the leadership before the ‘witch hunting’ exercise.

He explained that on a specific day in 2009, he was heading towards his house with his bicycle and as informed that Tamba Jiro brought some people said to be acting on order of former President Yahya Jammeh.

“I later saw Tamba Jiro accompanied by some people, among them security personnel who walked into my compound looking around as if they were searching for something,” said the witness.

He said while in his compound, the leader of the ‘witch hunters’ was pointing a mirror around and claimed to be searching for ‘witches and wizards.’

“He asked for my name and I told him my name then he left and went to a location where I found them smoking some people,” he added.

Fanneh said the activity was carried out by Solo Bojang whom he knew during his trip to Kanilai when he went to former President Yahya Jammeh’s farm as the operations commander at that project.

He narrated that while in his house his child came to informed him about those coming to capture people.

He said at that time his wife was sick and had to take her and others to Kaabung, an outskirt of Sintet.

The witness recalled that a man came to his house and asked him to join some people or be beaten.

“I told the man that if he lay your hand on me he won’t reach Kanilai alive,” Mustapha said, further explaining that a soldier came and told him that the young man doesn’t know what he was saying.

According to him, the soldier told him to obey the order by joining the people but he also insisted that if any one follows him he would not go but he went to where the bus was stationed.

He said this incident differ from that of Tamba Jiro as these people came with a list of names.

He pointed out that the bus was stationed under a big tree near the health centre where two persons who came for their personal businesses got arrested and forced into the bus.

He said the Green Boys and Green Girls were present there singing and dancing.

“My Qur’an was seized from me and I asked Solo Bojang why did they do that and he responded that I would not know until we reach Kanilai then I also told him that no one’s father owns there,” he adduced.

He recalled that they were later stationed at a fenced place like a place of idol worship made up of stones that resembles a cross where all activities took place including cooking.

He said after some time they were called to eat but he refused and was again called to take bath and drink the concoction where he saw a person who came out after drinking fell down.

He said Solo called him (Fanneh) to go and take bath, drink the concoction but still refused and he (Solo Bojang) called two soldiers to get hold of him with a gun pointed at his chest.

“I attacked him and told him before pointing a gun at my chest. I assured him that the truth shall make me free from there and I put it to him that I was his senior. I was asked to undress and I told him I am old enough to do that,” the witness related.

He said after the exchange, Solo Bojang poured concoction on his face then he (Fanneh) swore to his father and mother that Solo will not retire from the job.

He described the concoction as a type of mixed liquid in a state that one cannot describe better, recalling that he had to drink the concoction twice during the first day and the second day.

He explained how he was given concoctions to drink again, that when he got to Sintet after spending the whole day there he was severely affected by the concoction and his wife was worried

Mustapha Fanneh said his son took him to the hospital and the doctor told him that he was very lucky because had he not been brought promptly he would not survive.

In his closing remarks, he stated that people are the same family and should live in harmony, adding that no politician should distract or create enmity among people.