Essa Jarju, a Senegalese, has been charged by the police with 2 counts of murder, 4 counts of attempted rape, and 4 counts of housebreaking and stealing.
Spokesman Inspector Foday Conta said the alleged serial killer confessed to committing the heinous crimes and being the marauder on the prowl terrorizing the New-Yundum/Lamin area.
The sequence of events leading to the arrest of the violent sex beast rape is as intriguing as a plot in a John Le Carre crime novel. This is from the police log book:
“On Thursday 15th June, at about 04:00am, a 22 year-old Essa Jarjue a Senegalese national resident in Tabokoto was caught breaking into a dwelling house and attempting to rape a woman in New Yundum. He was escorted to Yundum Police Station where the matter was subjected to a thorough investigation.
“According to the interim investigations, the suspect was passing through a compound and noticed an open window and when he peeped through and saw a lady sleeping, he scaled through the window and allegedly attempted to rape a 23 year-old girl and strangling her. The lady struggled and yelled for help which triggered the rapist to run and escape through the door. He took an ITEL dual sim mobile phone belonging to his victim.
“The same alleged rapist proceeded to another compound in New Yundum and used a similar mode of operation by entering through the half-away opened door of a house and upon seeing a lady believed to be 18 years old, lying on a wooden armed chair, he attempted to rape her too. The lady upon realising some abnormalities on her body, screamed for help which forced the alleged rapist to run again. However a group of people who sighted him were able to chase and catch him. They escorted him to the police where upon questioning a whole interesting pattern of his activities were recorded.
“After thoroughly going through the statements of the complainants, witnesses and the suspects, the police investigators at Yundum Station saw the striking similarities between the case at hand and the previous rape cases reported to the police by complainants from Lamin and Faji Kunda villages. The suspect was confronted with the two incidents and intensively interrogated by the investigators.
“As a result, Essa Jarjue confessed to the police that on 26th May, 2017, around 03:00hrs to 04:00hrs he attempted to rape a 32 year-old lady in Lamin. Though unsuccessful, he managed to steal her two mobile phones.
“The following day, 27th May 2017, at about 02:00hrs, Essa Jarjue confessed to have gone to another compound in Lamin village and attempted to rape girl of about 19. He succeeded in tearing her underwear and although he failed in his attempt to forcefully penetrate her, he ejaculated on her thigh. The samples of the semen were collected by the police and were undergoing laboratory test by the police scientific support unit.
“When further confronted by the police investigators, Essa Jarjue also confessed that on 29th May 2017 as he was walking around in Lamin, he saw a window open in a particular compound. There too he peeped inside and saw a little girl sleeping, and he scaled the fence and enter the room through the window and forcefully had carnal knowledge of the 8 year-old by covering the girl’s mouth and nose with his hand leading to her death.
“Jarjue also admitted to be responsible for the death of a 7- month pregnant woman in Faji Kunda as a result of an attempted rape on her. According to Essa Jarjue, he found a door opened ‘quarter way’ and he entered and saw a lady sleeping with her young child. He climbed on her and covered the lady’s mouth and nose leaving her unconscious. He turned the woman up front on her back to have carnal knowledge of her, then realising that she was pregnant, and could not do anything, he decided to steal her mobile phones and left the house.
Even though it was reported last week that the seven-month pregnant woman of Faji Kunda died of natural causes as indicated by medical reports, the police investigators remained suspicious considering the circumstances in which the lady was found. The police never relented in finding answers to numerous questions posed by the public for the police to establish the facts leading to the death of the innocent lady, thus, further investigations revealed that she died as a result of strangling inflicted on her by her alleged killer.
Since, all his mode of operation are similar, coupled with his confession of committing the various crimes, Essa Jarjue, is charged with 2 counts of murder, 4 counts of attempted rape, and 4 counts of housebreaking and stealing, which are all contrary to the criminal code, cap 10, volume III of the laws of the Gambia.
“Subsequently, the Office of the Inspector General of Police returns gratitude to the general public for their vigilance and cooperation manifested during this search and previous searches conducted on clamping down crimes and criminals.
The office further encourages the general public to continue being vigilant and report any suspicious crime and criminal activities in their neighborhoods, as that is the only way to guarantee a crime free Gambia.”
