As I was covering cases on the 17th December, 2004, at the Kanifng Magistrates’ Court for “The Independent” newspaper, my friend Prosecutor 1748 Momodou Dumbuya Mballow, now a state counsel, informed me that Deyda had been killed. I could not believe my ears. I was really taken by surprise. It was a shock to me! I wondered what he had done to be killed like that.
On the 15th December, 2004, I read an article written by Deyda in “The Point” newspaper, critical of Jammeh’s government. It mentioned obnoxious media laws which hampered the freedom of the press. Then the following day, 16th December, 2004, Deyda was gunned down. Fingers pointed at Yahya Jammeh’s government for killing him.
Yahya Jammeh himself ridiculed Deyda that he was engaged in a sinful activity and this was why he was killed by a private individual. This was a lie. Why was it that whenever Deyda’s death was mentioned Jammeh always felt uneasy? Didn’t the whole world hear Malick Jatta at the TRRC say that he, Alieu Jeng, Tumbul Tamba and Sanna Manjang killed Deyda in a drive-by shooting on Yahya Jammeh’s orders? He went on to say that Jammeh paid them in dollars, and when he converted his share to dalasis, he said he ‘scored’ more than D50,000 as a token of appreciation for killing Deyda.
Deyda Hydara never engaged in a sinful activity. It was Jammeh himself who engaged in sinful activities at Kanilai where he shamefully gathered some women doing ungodly things. Do you expect a president to behave the way Jammeh had behaved? What was baffling about him was that he would always mention ‘God fearing’. He was never God fearing. He was sanctimonious (hypocritically pious).
Sanna Manjang was on the 3rd December, 2025, brought before Principal Magistrate Isatou Sallah-Mbai of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on three counts of murder. It was alleged that he murdered Deyda Hydara, Ndongo Mboob and Haruna Jammeh. Because the court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter, the case was subsequently transferred to the Special Criminal Division of the High Court in Banjul.
I was in the courtroom, covering the case. Baba Hydara was also in the courtroom. I studied his demeanour and he was calm and serene, observing the court proceedings. He was deprived of his loving father. It must have been painful for him.
This is what he had to say in an interview: “Each passing year brings the hope that the pain will lessen but instead the memories of my late father, Deyda Hydara, remain as vivid and painful as ever for me and my siblings. As Muslims the family finds strength and in prayer. The anniversary date is always a difficult one for us. Former President Jammeh did everything possible to shut down the paper, along others who sought its collapse. Despite those efforts, ‘The Point’ has endured and today proudly marks its 34th anniversary. My father was a hardworking and disciplined man who arrived at the office early and left late, deeply committed to journalism and highly sensitive to anything that threatened media freedom. My father took attacks on the media personally, lived as a devote Muslim, gave generously to charitable causes, and took excellent care of his family.”
A martyr does not die. We live with his legacy. It is always with us. We keep on remembering it. The sacrifice he did for mankind, especially freedom of the press, will stay with us. We remember him because of his truthfulness, kindness and philanthropy. That martyr is Deyda Hydara.
Deyda, rest in peace. Your fight for press freedom continues.
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