#Article (Archive)

Marabout in conflict with the Law

Oct 24, 2011, 2:10 PM | Article By: Dawda Faye

Essa Bah, a marabout, was recently arraigned before Magistrate Ngube of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for obtaining over D109, 000 from one Abdourahman Sissoko under the pretext that he was going to pray for him to succeed in life and to enable him to travel abroad.

The said marabout denied the allegation.

In his testimony, the complainant, Abdourahman Sissoko, told the court the marabout offered to protect him from evil spirits together with his mother and younger brother for D300.

He stated that the marabout then gave him some medicine in powder form and asked him to undress and rub it on his body when he reached home

He further narrated that after doing that he was not himself anymore, adding that he was possessed by the marabout and whatever he asked him to do, he would do  without questioning.

He indicated that his family had to take him to another marabout, who told him the so-called marabout had put him in a difficult position.

He said he went back to the accused, the first marabout, who asked him to give out 3kilos of meat, 2 kilos of bananas, 3 oranges and 3 apples.

He further posited that after buying all these things, the marabout asked him to meet him at Piccadilly junction. Upon arrival, he said, the marabout asked him whether he could recognise a witch but he answered in the negative.

He added that the marabout assured him that he would take the responsibility of getting rid of the witch.

He adduced that the following day the marabout asked him to meet him at Babun Fatty junction, where the marabout took him to a corner and gave him another medicine to cleanse himself and further asked him to bend down and he started hearing voices without seeing anybody.

He stated that the voices he was hearing asked him to do whatever the marabout would ask him to do or else he would die, adding that the marabout then asked him to drive him to his residence in his (the complainant’s) car.

He posited that the marabout waited outside and the complainant went into his room and later came out with D10,400 and 2,400 Euros and gave it to the marabout.

He said after some time, the marabout requested D40,000 from him but he told him he did not have that amount of money and that the only thing he could do was to sell his car. He stated that he had no customer to buy the car.

He further narrated that the marabout disappeared until 21 September 2011 when he caught up with him at the Serrekunda garage, adding that the marabout suggested that they resolved the matter at the complainant’s home but the complainant insisted going to the police, while the marabout refused.

He said that suddenly a traffic police officer came by and the marabout managed to run away but was apprehended by the crowd and taken to the police station.

The case continues on 4 November 2011.