By Omar Bah
The Coroner’s Inquest report on the death of Brigadier General Bora Colley has concluded that he died of natural causes. Colley, a former senior military officer implicated in human rights abuses during former President Yahya Jammeh’s regime, died on March 9, 2025, while in state custody. He had voluntarily returned from exile in August 2024 due to deteriorating health and was receiving continuous medical care while detained. The Attorney General requested a coroner’s inquest to determine the precise cause of death, which was conducted under the Coroner’s Act. The report found no evidence of foul play, confirming that Colley succumbed to his medical condition naturally.
Colley’s death has sparked debate about justice and accountability for alleged Jammeh-era crimes, as he was implicated in torture and extrajudicial killings by the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The government has expressed commitment to prosecuting such cases, but Colley’s death ended the possibility of his trial. The inquest aimed to provide transparency amid public skepticism about custodial deaths in politically sensitive cases.
