Lamin
Badjie and his wife Nyima Jarju, yesterday testified before the Truth,
Reconciliation and Reparations Commission’s (TRRC) regional hearings in
Sibanor, giving accounts of their family’s encounter with Tambajiro, the man
who led an infamous witch hunting campaign initiated by former president, Yahya
Jammeh.
“When
Tambajiro came to our village, he abducted many villagers by writing their
names. They were to inhale some smoke, and my father was targeted, accused but
he remained calm,” Mr. Badjie testified.
He
adduced that his father felt ashamed for Tambajiro to sit him in the middle of
people and accuse him of being a wizard.
Narrating
the second coming of the witch hunters which involved Fulas, Mr. Badjie
explained that he was shocked upon hearing the news of their coming; accusing
Solo Bojang as the one who led the whole process.
“Solo
is the man answering directly to former president Yahya Jammeh and I knew he
got the orders from him.” He recalled that by the time they were capturing
people from their village in the morning, he was already in Kanilai for a work
and closed at 4 p.m.
The
witness added that his father, Bolly Badjie, the former alkalo was in Dasilame
at the time of the incident, indicating that he ran away from Dasilame to
Casamance upon hearing that the witch hunters were to get him.
His
wife Nyima Jarju, a native of Tabokoto, also testified that the Fula witch
hunters came to the village on a particular Monday, but she ran into her house
from a naming ceremony as soon as she heard the news of their coming.
“They
came and met me breastfeeding a three-month old baby. They told me that I was
not a witch but they would have to take me to Kanilai and treat me. They said I
was sick but when they asked me to wait for them, I decided to enter my house
and locked it.”
She
adduced that she went into hiding because they were troublesome people, adding
that she hid there without knowing anything else about them.
“Lamin’s
father was in Dasilame at the time of the incident, but they went for him
there. He ran into Casamance but he was viewed as wizard in the village.”
The
following day, she added, she and her mother in-law, Fatou Bojang and her baby
were arrested and taken to Sibanor police station’s cell to reveal where Bolly
was.
She
said the condition of cell was deplorable, as they slept in the midst of a
bottle of urine. She added that the Officer in Charge (OC) of the station,
Tamsir, was well aware of their conditions despite the baby being
uncomfortable.
“We
were there from Tuesday till the following week Wednesday. They told us that we
would not be released unless we told them where Bolly was. We really suffered
there and during the night, the mosquitoes were really disturbing. I think that
was the reason for my in-law’s death because since she left, she was not able
to regain her health.”
