By Adama Makasuba
Ali Jallow a 52-year-old man from Sintet village has on Monday detailed how fellow villagers were gathered together and force to inhale smokes from burnt leaves by witch hunters as TRRC begins hearings testimonies in Foni where former president Yahya Jammeh is born.
In 2009, former President Yahya Jammeh stunned the world after launching a so-called witch hunt by hiring a band of witch doctors believed to be from Guinea Conakry guarded by armed soldiers and police that targeted poor farming communities and public offices.
Ali Jallow told TRRC officials: “we were strapped in the hospital and they asked us let no one move away, and they put some leaves on the stove and set them alight on the stove. I saw how the smoke was disturbing people and some people were using their shirts to clear the smokes away, but I managed to escape.”
He added: “They (witch hunters) captured very huge number of the village almost half of the village number because they were storming homes and houses and capturing people randomly. I saw man who came to the home of the Imam and broke his house door and said where are the witch children’s, and another man came to me and called me old man and passed and got into my brother’s house and went into and met his wife having bath.”
Mr. Jallow said while the witch doctors were storming homes and houses that personnel of the police intervention unit armed with AK47 encircled the village.
He said the witch doctors were dressed like magicians and ‘magicians are known to be from Guinea Conakry adding ‘they took the captured ones to Kanilai and my father and my elder brother’s wife and another boy in my family were taken away by them.’