By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
Report reaching The Voice from Kerr Mot Ali, Upper Saloum District, Central River Region (CRR) says that followers of Shering Ndigal who attempted forcefully return to their homes on Sunday morning set compounds on fire.
This development followed two separate arson attacks that occurred last Wednesday and Friday nights when seven houses were also said to have been allegedly burnt down by the ‘Seckans’ followers of late Shering Ndigal Secka.
The Seckans migrated to Senegal thirteen (13) years ago when their leader late Shering Ndigal tussled with former President Yahya Jammeh for introduction of a new religion in the country leading to their migration to Senegal to avoid persecution and possible prosecution.
The Voice Newspaper has been reliably informed that the latest incident involved burn to ashes of the compounds of the village Alkalo Musa Secka and Imam Lamin Sowe.
Fafa Secka, a resident of Kerr Mot Ali revealed to The Voice Newspaper that more than ten youths armed with petrol gallons, cutlasses and machetes stormed his village before going into rampage of setting houses ablaze. He confirmed that the compounds of the village Alkalo and Imam were burnt down to ashes before the arrival of the securities to quell the situation.
Secka also revealed that three of the villagers Samba Ceesay, Ali Sowe and Biran Mbye sustained injuries on their bodies during the confrontation and were rushed to Njau Health Centre for medical attention. Adding the attackers overpowered his villagers as they were armed with petrol, cutlasses, sticks and knives.
He said many of his villagers, predominantly women, ran for safety to other neighbouring villages and the bushes, adding that it was only the arrival of the paramilitary officers who were able to quell the situation that also witnessed the burning down of foodstuffs and clothing.
However, this medium also spoke with one Lamin Sowe, a follower of late Shering Ndigal Secka and currently residing at Kerr Mot Ali, Senegal he said the attack was orchestrated by angry youths of his village who are desperate to return home after spending thirteen years in Senegal.
According to him, after three judgments delivered at the courts in Banjul he and his village followers have been denied entry into their village by both local and state authorities in the Gambia. Revealing that their migration to Senegal was made possible by ex- President Yahya Jammeh who wanted to prosecute them based on their religious belief.
“It was the youths who said they must return back to their homes but when their tensions erupted that led to the burning of some compounds.
He went further that “for thirteen years we have been exiled in Senegal, we are tired of being refugees when we have our homes in Gambia but we are denied entry even after three judgments delivered,” Sowe revealed to The Voice Newspaper as the crux of the matter.
According to him, many attempts to return back to their homes failed because of certain local and government officials, arguing that currently most of the inhabitants of their compounds at Kerr Mot Ali, Gambia are Senegalese who only came to settle recently.
He alleged that Gambian Paramilitary Officers deployed at the scene fired bullets on his villagers who were returning back to their homes, noting that there were no casualties sustained when Paramilitaries fired bullets on his villagers but left them terrified.
As we go to press this medium gathered credible information that the Deputy Governor of CRR, Momodu Bah and his Senegalese counterpart met at the border in their efforts to restore order.
We have also gathered that there are heavy presences of heavily armed paramilitary officers stationed at the Gambian border to prevent return of the followers of late Shering Ndigal who are bent on returning back home after thirteen years in exile.