The people of Perai Tenda have written to the Inspector General of Police Mamour Jobe demanding the release of nine elders of the village who are being kept at Janjanbureh prison over an incident last month.
Youth of Perai Tenda and Waliba Kunda squared off on July 5 over a land which both villages claim ownership of. Many were injured during the violence which saw machetes, knives and sticks deployed.
A number of people have been arrested and detained over the violence, most of them from Perai Tenda.
“We write to express our deepest sorrow and concerns about the illegal and unlawful detention of the innocent elders of our village, Perai Tenda Community,” the villagers in a petition to the IGP on 19 August and shared with The Fatu Network began.
They added: “Nine (9) innocent elders of our village were arrested allegedly on the unlawful orders of Mr. Ousman Sonko [sic], the Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS) and taken to McCarthy/Janjanbureh prisons prior to Tobaski. It has been nearly two months now since they were detained without any court trails after having demanded a sum of D40,000.00 unlawfully from us for a bail, they remained under unlawful detention and some of them are suffering from various health problems.
“The unlawful orders came after a land dispute between Perai Tenda Village and the neighboring Village Waliba Kunda Village wherein youth groups from both sides pelted stones at each other injuring several people from both villages. It must be noted that the fight was ignited by Waliba Kunda Village. Our community has been farming those plots of land for at least 400 years and no one has ever claimed ownership over them. We have successfully lived with all our neighbors in absolute peace and prosperity irrespective of their tribe or political affiliation since time immemorial including Waliba Kunda.
“The community of Waliba Kunda has benefitted from numerous benefits from Perai Tenda; these benefits include education for their children, market for food, fishing without any charges or license, as well as free gracing for their cattle, until recently when they illegally claimed ownership over our lands which have been our sole source of income over the years. As we write this letter with deep pain and sorrow, we would urge your government to take swift possible measures and release our innocent elders who have absolutely nothing to do with the problem, on the contrary some of them were not even present at the village on the day of the problem, whiles some of them have worked so hard calling for peace from both sides.
“We are confident that your government will launch an independent investigation into the matter and defend the truth over falsehood. We demand the swift release of our innocent elders whose families are suffering enormous lose with the absence of their fathers, husbands, uncles and loved ones. We have made very great sacrifices over the years in our endeavour to see a change of unjust government, thus this is the last act we could have ever imagine from this new government. We would like to assure you of our total support, loyalty and commitment in enhancing the development goals of your government. We pray for ‘Justice to guide our actions’ and for the well-being of our community, The Gambia.
“As our Inspector General of Police, we call for your swift action before the situation worsens. Thank you.”
Police spokesman Superintendent Lamin Njie told The Standard the matter has been forwarded to the courts and the accused persons were remanded on the orders of the court.
“So as you can see, the matter is currently under litigation,” Supt Njie told The Standard.
