Forty dead hooded vultures were discovered in an orchard in Brufut Tintinto, sparking widespread suspicion that the birds might have been killed for ritual purposes.
The incident, which came after discoveries of mass vulture deaths in Bonto in Kombo East and Gunjur in Kombo South in suspicious circumstances, has prompted calls for urgent and exhaustive police investigation as there appeared to be no end in sight to the mysterious vulture deaths in the Kombo sub-region of the West Coast Region.
Locals believed the Brufut killings may be connected to local beliefs about vultures.
The councillor for Brufut Ward, Alagie Jammeh, said he was profoundly saddened and angered by the mass vulture death in his ward.
“If this was done for ritual purposes, those involved should remember that one day they will also return to their Lord, and they will atone for taking the lives of these vultures for ritualistic reasons,” Jammeh told JollofNews.
Desperation for Political Power or Than Meets The Eye?
Councillor Jammeh drew a parallel between the vulture deaths and other disturbing events in the past, suggesting a nexus to lust for political office.
He recalled the disappearance of “deluders” and the macabre discovery of a mutilated body of a young woman before the Gambia’s 2021 presidential election. Jammeh also told JollofNews that a bull was killed at Brufut Beach with parts of its remains dumped in the sea around the same time.
He believes that a desperate quest for political power is driving some individuals to engage in what he described as “heinous activities.”
“The lust for positions in this country now forces politicians to do anything they can just to assume political office,” Jammeh said in a disappointing tone. “Things have been happening, but this kind is unprecedented.”
The Brufut Ward councillor urged the Gambia’s police chief to sanction a swift investigation into the vulture deaths.
He also appealed to the general public to come forward with any information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrator (s). “A good Muslim or Christian should not act in this despicable manner,” he stressed.
Jammeh then implored the Brufut community to expose those responsible for the vultures’ deaths so that legal action can be taken, ensuring that those behind this “inhumane conduct are brought to book”.
