By Sainey Darboe:
The execution of a body guard accused of having an affair with the former First Lady of The Gambia, Zainab Jammeh, was ordered by The Gambia’s former tyrant Yahya Jammeh.
This disclosure was made yesterday before the Truth, Reparations and Reconciliation Commission by Omar Jallow, a former member of Jammeh’s death squad called the Junglers.
Omar Jallow told of his involvement in the killing of Ello Jallow which was staged as a freak accident shortly after his return from a trip to the United States with the First Lady, Zainab Jammeh.
Speaking to the media about the circumstances surrounding the death of his younger brother, Pateh Jallow disclosed:
“There was a security breach at the house in America and they didn’t know who it was. It was only Ello who had a spare key and access to the house which I still have. So one day someone called trying to talk to Ello, but he was unfortunately not close to the phone. When they picked up the phone, they drew the conclusion that the person calling was Khalifa Bajinka who fled because Jammeh wanted to kill him. So then they started accusing Ello Jallow of being the one giving away information about Zainab. Ello knew something about the house even during the process of buying it. He was set up by Amadou Joof and Fatou Njie who reported him”.
Pateh added:
“He came from a visit with the First Lady on Monday, but the last day I saw him was Wednesday. He even wanted to marry a lady in Sweden and we were going to start that process. I told him not to come back but he didn’t listen. I was very shocked when I came back from a trip to Casamance and was told he had returned to The Gambia against my advice. Prior to that I was called by Serign Modou Njie who asked me to warn him. When I told Ello he replied to me those people were cowards. He said to me he would sacrifice to come because if he didn’t I would be in trouble. I told him I was already in enough trouble anyway , but he didn’t listen”.
Giving further details of circumstances surrounding the death of his brother, he postulated:
“They called him for a meeting at Cape Point in Bakau. When he arrived they attacked him but he fought with them and injured Solo Bojang. They sprayed him and overpowered him before strangling him to death. He was then put into a car and dumped on a road side in a poorly staged accident. I had a call from the state guard the next day from one Captain Danso of the State Guard informing me of his death. Prior to his death, the last person Ello spoke to was my brother Demba Jallow whom he told Solo Bojang and Borra Colley were calling him constantly and telling him ‘fuck you where are you?’
” At the death house we were not allowed to have a post mortem. Serigne Modou Njie told me there should not be any post mortem for my brother. He told me if I faced any risks from wanting to do post mortem it would be my own fault. He categorically warned me against post mortem for my brother. Then later after the burial of my brother, we were told president Jammeh wanted to see the family of Ello Jallow. When we went to the State House we were given 70,000 Dalasis but we never had a chance to meet the president”.
Pressed whether he was ever told by his brother of the alleged relationship with the wife of the president, he replied:
” Yes the wife of the president called him to her room a few times but he was reluctant. He never wanted to do anything like that. He called my mum and told her about it while asking for prayers. Ello is a very respectful person and I don’t think he will sleep with someone’s wife. Even if he did he shouldn’t be killed because even the president sleeps with people’s wives“.
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