By Alieu Jallow
A 25-year-old woman identified as Isatou Jawneh, a native of Situkondi in the Upper River Region, has been arrested after allegedly attempting to kill her newborn baby in Tallinding, just hours after delivery.
Jawneh, who is married to a Gambian man residing in Spain, reportedly claimed that her pregnancy was fathered by Ebrima Jikera, a man from Latrikunda Piccadilly but currently living in Farato.
A police statement confirmed that during interrogation, she admitted to being married, but claimed the pregnancy was from her boyfriend.
According to sources, many believe Jawneh may have tried to end the baby’s life in an attempt to protect her marriage and avoid societal stigma.
The Fatu Network’s reporter, who was on the ground, witnessed vigilantes in Tallinding apprehending the suspect after she was seen at the riverside in suspicious circumstances. She was later escorted to the police in a tense environment, surrounded by angry residents chanting accusations.
Community chairman, Jerreh Drammeh, told The Fatu Network that he first encountered the young woman between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., carrying a baby in what he described as a “suspicious manner.” He said her explanation that she had just given birth without her husband’s presence and was seeking soda crystals raised concerns.
Drammeh further narrates that when he returned later, he saw her again near the riverside and eventually approached with the intention to help, and then she opened up.
“I observed that she wasn’t comfortable, and I told her that I understood she was not at ease. I said, ‘You are a woman and I am a man, please open up and let’s see how I can help you out.’ She then told me that she is from Brikama but gave birth in Kanifing, and that she noticed her baby was not breathing normally, so she was seeking medication from an herbalist. I became curious as to why the nurses would discharge her from the hospital with such a condition. I asked her if we should go to the police to report the matter, but some people around complained and told me to let her be since she said she was heading to the hospital. So, I let her go, but I still wasn’t comfortable at all,” Drammeh said.
Another eyewitness, Abdoulie Bassen, recounted how local youth chased and apprehended the woman after suspecting she intended to dump the baby.
“At first, she said nothing, but later confessed that her husband is in Europe and that she got pregnant, and she was trying to avoid shame,” Bassen revealed.
The tense situation drew a large and furious crowd, with chants accusing the young mother of murder. Police officers at Tallinding Farokono Police Station had to call for backup and later transferred her to Bundung Police Station for safety and further investigation.
Meanwhile, the Gambia Police Force’s Public Relations Officer confirmed that the baby was rushed to the Kanifing General Hospital, where it was pronounced dead on arrival before being transferred to the Banjul mortuary for preservation and possible postmortem.
The incident has sparked outrage and debate within the community over issues of morality, marriage, and societal pressure, as investigations continue.
