By Mafugi Ceesay
Dembo Bojang, a native of Jambur village has told the TRRC at his first sitting at the scene of alleged crimes that that he knows ten people whose deaths could be linked to the horrific concoctions and other treatments forced on them by former president Jammeh’s witch hunters in 2009.
The witness named all ten and added other names who he said are still suffering from the effects of the exercise which devastated the village and stigmatized its inhabitants.
He recalled that he was very angry at the witch hunters and the soldiers who accompanied and had asked the villagers to resist and fight back.
Bojang said 62 villagers including himself were taken from Jambur and forced to drink horrible concoctions.
“After drinking it, I felt weak and could not even work on my farm in the compound,” he said.
Bojang concluded by expressing his disappointment with the former opposition United Democratic Party, accusing them of not helping him and others arrested in 2006.
Another witness, Imam Omar Bojang of the same village, was abducted together with his father and two of his uncles and forcefully taken to Kololi at the former residence of Baba Jobe where they were given concoctions.
He recalled when the witch doctors came, a red cock and a goat were slaughtered at the village cemetery but while the cock was buried there, the slaughtered goat was taken away.
“My brother was the one who slaughtered the goat and the cock and informed me that after the sacrifice of these two animals, he was told that anyone who attempts to do anything against former President Yahya Jammeh won’t succeed. The witness said the witch doctor’s entourage was accompanied by youths who were dressed in green outfits.
He also recalled that Solo Bojang came with people dressed in all red and soldiers to search his house.
“They searched the whole house and found something after which they asked me to go with them to the Bantaba.
“There, they called me and told me that I have a juju that is very bad. They told me the juju is the reason why the youths of the village cannot progress,” he said adding that he was surprised because he did not have that Juju there.
“I don’t know why they came to my house but they were led by our Alkalo – Kebba Juju Bojang who told Solo Bojang and his men that I brought men as marabouts to prepare jujus to destroy Yahya Jammeh’s government,” he said.
He said people at the Bantaba were drumming as the witch – hunters made him sit on a bare floor.
“While I was sitting on the floor, I saw them bring my father, and his younger brother,” he said.
