By Adama Makasuba
Army Sergeant Omar A Jallow has admitted his involvement in the killing of 48 people- nine inmates – 44 Ghanaian migrants, Baba Jobe, ex- army chief Ndure Cham, two Gambian – American and Haruna Jammeh.
Sgt Jallow was a member of the death squad of the former President Yahya Jammeh.
In his Wednesday’s testimony, Jallow told a Truth Commission investigating into the atrocities under the 22-year rule of Jammeh that they killed most the deaths by strangling them to death.
He admitted his role in the killing of the nine inmates- whom he said were “strangled to death by them putting nylon bags over their heads and pressed them to death.”
“When we got to the range-Lance corporal Bojang’s range in Brikama…when we got to the range we brought them down and put nylon bag over their heads and pressed it until they died,” he told a Truth Commission.
He said they (Jungulars) “took the dead bodies of the victims to a bush in the home village of Kanilai and threw them into a well.”
Nine inmates- including seven men and a woman were cold-bloodedly killed by Jammeh’s regime in 2012- whom they said were sentenced to death.
Meanwhile, he admitted to participating in the killing of two Gambian-American nationals and the former army chief- Ndure Cham, saying they killed the two Gambian-American and Ndure Cham to death by strangulation.
He said the two Gambian-American were accused of overthrowing the regime of former president Yahya Jammeh while Ndure-he said was arrested for allegedly involvement in the 2006 foiled coup.
“We got information from Yahya Jammeh that we should kill Ndure Cham and when Malick Manga put the nylon bag over his Ndure Cham’s head, I joined him and we finished him,” he said.
Meanwhile, he also admitted his role in killing Haruna Jammeh and Baba Jobe, adding they killed Baba Jobe at the Edward Francis Teaching Hospital in Banjul while he was admitted to medication during his detention period at Mile Two.
He said they threw most the death bodies to a well in Kanilai. However, he asked for forgiveness from Gambians especially the victims’ families