By Yankuba Jallow, Foroya Newspaper
A man El Hadrami Mohameden Zayid passed away soon after he was dragged outside his home in the early hours of Tuesday morning by uniformed men purporting to be police officers,
The distraught wife Isatou Jallow told Foroyaa that around 2 am, on Tuesday 21 March, 2017, “I was called to rush to my husband’s residence. “When I enquired, I was told he was been dragged by three police men outside the compound” she explained. She added that her husband has no criminal record and has been a self-employee earning his living from his personal work.
According to one Pa Ousman Jatta, an eye witness of the incident, seven uniformed men claiming to be police officers came and asked for the deceased and he told them he was sleeping. He said at the initial stage they had no knowledge of the deceased or where he lived. “They came and asked for the deceased whilst I was sitting outside but I told them that he was sleeping,” he explained. He added that they proceeded on their mission to pursue to see the deceased and entered the compound where the deceased resides. “They knocked on the door of one Jarra Jallow, a tenant who opened the door of her house because they disclosed to her that they are policemen. He further said the uniformed men told her they were not looking for her and thereafter one of the uniformed men left the other six policemen where they were standing and went to the door of the decease and knocked. “The decease replied and they asked for his name and he responded as asked” he said.
Continuing he said the late Zayid was asked to open his door because he is the one they came for. “He complied and he was told on the spot that he bought a goat and a sheep that were stolen” he said. Furthermore, “He was then dragged outside the compound by three of the uniformed men who came to arrest the decease. All I could hear was them asking for money and promising that they would then go back to their respective authorities to tell them they have not seen the deceased.”
The witness went on to say that he heard Mr. Zayid promising to give them the said amount of money in the morning around 8am to 9am but the police were reluctant and requested for a witness whose number was taken. “The witness was a lady who lives with Mr. Zayid in the same compound” he said.
“When the uniformed men departed, Mr. Zayid could not get back into the compound by his own strength and we helped him to go inside his room” he attested. He said few minutes later, Mr. Zayid an asthmatic patient was rushed to the Serrekunda General hospital in Kanifing where he was confirmed dead.
