By Adama Makasuba
A 52-year-old man of Sintet village has detailed how villagers were kidnapped and forced to inhale smoke coming from leaves that were being burnt by witch hunters.
The TRRC today took its witch hunt investigations to Sibanor, in Foni Bintang.
In 2009, former President Yahya Jammeh stunned the world after launching a so-called witch hunt by hiring a band of witch doctors believed to be from Guinea Conakry guarded by armed soldiers and police that targeted poor farming communities and public offices.
Ali Jallow today told TRRC officials while testifying that, “we were strapped in the hospital and they asked us let no one move away, and they put some leaves on the stove and set them alight on the stove. I saw how the smoke was disturbing people and some people were using their shirts to clear the smokes away, but I managed to escape.”
He added: “They (witch hunters) captured very huge number of the village almost half of the village number because they were storming homes and houses and capturing people randomly. I saw man who came to the home of the Imam and broke his house door and said where are the witch children and another man came to me and called me old man and passed and got into my brother’s house and went inside and met his wife having a bath.”
Mr. Jallow said while the witch doctors were entering homes, they were with personnel of the police intervention unit armed with AK47 rifles.
He added the men were dressed like magicians and ‘magicians are known to be from Guinea Conakry adding ‘they took the captured ones to Kanilai and my father and my elder brother’s wife and another boy in my family were taken away by them.’
