At least two youths have been shot dead in Faraba Banta village this morning during a violent standoff with officers of the Gambia’s Police Intervention Unit.
The villagers were protesting against mining of sand in the village by a company belonging to a renowned businessman, Julakay.
Reports said several civilians have also been injured when armed officers fired live ammunition on the villagers.
The slain youths have been named locally as Bakary Kujabi, alias Seffo, and Ebrima Bah.
Their bodies are currently at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul.
The Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of the Interior are yet to comment publicly about the incident.
We will keep you updated as events unfold in the Kombo East village.
Jollofnews,
The Kombo Faraba Banta Horrendous Incident,
That’s the true face of the CORRUPT and INCOMPETENT Barrow administration. Until lives are wilfully taken by the security forces, this USELESS administration will never pronoun a word on the welfare/preoccupation of its citizens.
We’ll soon hear the hypocritical condolence messages from the IDIOTIC president and his Vice President, the LIES from other government quarters about the horrendous and disastrous incident in this beautiful village.
I followed a 3-month teaching practice training in this wonderful Kombo East village, Faraba Banta (not BANTANG as some papers erroneously write) and could vividly remember the sight. The school field is right opposite the school premises and the sand mine is a few hundred metres from there on the right going to another surrounding village, Pirang.
We would walk to Pirang after school and back, (if there is no evening football match) and view that sand mine location which closes on to the vast rice fields as rightly stated in audio and TV recordings. It’s true that when the mines are drained and dried up, there is every likelihood for a channelization that would not hold the flow of debris/floods into the beautiful and fertile rice fields. Thus, an alluvium of waste that would indeed destroy the rice fields, turned into vegetable gardens after the rains. Here we are highlighting the lives of the rural poor.
But this SELFISH and VERY BAD administration that would always LIE to its citizens would be quiet on the issue and let the SELFISH and EGOCENTRIC Julakay Company continue.
The villagers are talking about their future. How can an administration that came on the ticket of “ameliorating” the lives of its citizens abandon them half way into the race?
It’s sad to see the bodies of these two young and promising youth and I believe Adama Barro, Julakay and IGP Kinteh would not like to see their sons shot in cold blood for requesting their future.
As there has NEVER been any investigation into all incidences since Barrow hopelessly took over, there wouldn’t be any investigation into this matter either.
I therefore console with the bereaved families, ask them to accept the Almighty Allah(SWT) as the only Divine Judge and take courage, heart and faith in His Greatness (Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni mal Wakeel).
MAY THEIR HEROIC SOULS REST IN PEACE. MAY THE ALMIGHTY ALLAH REWARD THEM WITH JANATUL FIRDAUS, AMEEN!!
This is disheartening.Are we witnessing d begining of a brutal suppression of dissent.Is d executive moreso d president continue to remain in difference to d plight of d poor people who voted him into office.environmental issues have become human right issues.The president cannot continue to pretend that he is not aware of d thenvironmental menace of d sand mining along d river in faraba likewise d cancerous and stingy odour from d fish meals factories along kombo coastal beaches .may GOD save the Gambia.
First, my sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families.
I pray to the almighty Allah to have mercy on the souls of the deceased. May Allah grant them Ja’natul Firr Daus!
To Jollof News: remove the semi-naked pictures, they do not respect the sacredness we confer on our departed. That’s unbecoming of a serious news outlet.
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Our hearts are broken once more by this sad episode in the annals of our history. Who will save our people and safeguard their rights, for the people entrusted with this duty are the ones turning their guns loaded with live ammunition on them and cutting lives short.
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This narrative of peaceful protesters been gunned down in The Gambia is already a familiar, if not a regular occurrence. The almighty question is: WHO, IN GODS NAME IS TO BLAME?
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Of course, the leadership of the country, from the president to the goons firing the shots to bring down their brothers and sisters. Will they admit it with consequences? I’ll bet my last Dalasi that they won’t.
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To the families of the deceased, I say: the lives of your youngsters was not lived in vain. They have done their part in the endeavor to make the world a little bit better by demonstrating against an injustice. That was not a crime. The criminals are the ones in uniform.
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Your tears are mine too.
My condolence to the families of the deceased. May Allah (SWT) shower their souls with His Endless and Boundless Mercy. May He (SWT) Reward their good deeds immensely; forgive their humanly shortcomings and grant them a place in Jannah. (Aamin)
May He (SWT) grant their families the strength and fortitude to bear their loses with dignity and acceptance as divinely ordained.
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Where does one even start? Has President Barrow joined the ranks of Africa’s killer presidents? How could that not be the case, unless these brutally murdered youths were armed with guns and threatening the lives of the security and/or other members of the public?
The nation must insist that the order to use live ammunition against demonstrators is fully investigated to establish the justification, if any, for such a course of action. Details are sketchy, but unless these youths were armed with guns and threatening the public safety, I cannot see a justification for the use of live ammunition.
Government cannot resort to cold blooded killings for their own indifference to the cries of communities across the country. I hope that these deaths are not allowed to be swept under the carpet like that of Haruna Jatta, under the pretext of “investigations”.
We must remain calm wait for the outcome of the investigation before comments I am very sad this happen in Gambia, usually people of the Gambia are kind to each other and violent is not their first option.
We expect our security forces to be professional at all times in the discharge of their responsibility and we also make it our civic responsibility as citizens to obey our laws and coperate with law enforcement agents in the discharge of their security functions.
Our condolences to the families affected by this tragic event.
The problem with us, Gambians is we always rush to judgement without getting all the facts.
We must not rush into judgement until the coming and necessary investigation is complete and findings made public.
Very alarming and frightening! The incident seriously tarnishes the image of this administration whose reputation, the international democracy barometers have used as a gauge in labelling the Gambia a “safe country”. The question that comes to mind is: are many element in the country’s security apparatuses possibly wolves in sheep clothing?
The Barrow administration however, should be investigated whether they’ve a hand or influence in this horrible crime. If so, it warrants a motion for a Vote Of No Confidence to make way for their resignation and facing charges.
My sympathy goes to the deeply bereaved families of the victims both dead and injured. May the deceased’s souls rest in eternal peace.
Another white (negative) day in The Gambian history books.
I am pretty much sure these demonstrators were unarmed (without guns).
If they were, I’m sure it would have been written in bold capital letters.
Now damage limitation control, is in play.
On point TILLY BO.
Damage control and messaging are in play here.
The usual comments from press officers stating that “the situation is being monitored; the President is being kept informed” will fill the airwaves.
This situation should have been tabled as a matter of urgency to preempt exactly what the authorities are grappling with today.
The loss of lives is regrettable but more saddening because this is a situation that’s preventable if good judgement, good policing and judiciary oversight was employed at the outset.
A nascent enterprise of this nature that must count on the goodwill of the community must not lead to so much bloodshed!
Is very sad, but let us try and solve the matter at the best way, without creating tension!