By Kemo Kanyi
A rape victim (Name withheld) has recounted some shocking and inhumane revelations before Magistrate Isatou O Njie of the Brikama Magistrate Court in the hands of Dawda Tamba, a taxi driver who according to her drove her into the bush, threatened her by pointing a knife at her, and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.
Deputy Superintendent Buteh Sawaneh appeared for the Inspector General of Police on Tuesday.
Dawda Tamba, the taxi driver, was charged with rape Contrary to Section 3 (1)(a) (2)(b)(c) of the Sexual Offences Act, 2013 on 14 October 2024.
His victim took the dock on Tuesday, 22 October 2024. Her narration of what she went through at the hands of Dawda, left her family members in tears and anguish as she proceeded with the shocking narration.
In her narration, on Sunday, 22 September 2024, she left Brikama Nyambai to her family home in Busura village around 00:00 hours to walk up to the Comium Customer Care Branch around the Brikama Police Station.
“Adjacent to the Comium Customer Care, there was a particular taxi driver stationed, he called my attention, but then I was calling my taxi drivers, whom I couldn’t reach on the phone. I then went to the taxi driver and negotiated with him, and we agreed on D250 for him to take me home, and that was when my fiancé returned. I boarded the taxi, and he drove to Oryx Petrol Station in Brikama and bought fuel. While on the way, the taxi driver started talking to me as we entered Penyem village. His first word was that he liked me, but I told him that I was married to someone because I didn’t want him to keep disturbing me,” she recounted.
She explained that the taxi driver stopped at Penyem village at one of the compounds to fetch water in his bottle, and the journey later proceeded.
Continuing her narration, the victim stated, “On the outskirts of Busura village in the bush, the taxi driver stopped. I asked him why he stopped the car in that bush and he responded that his car was igniting smoke. While he was sitting in his seat, I saw him bend down and pull out a knife. He opened the door and stepped out; I also opened the door at my end and stepped out. He shouted at me, telling me he was a soldier.”
“He rushed to me, and I quickly called my fiancé and placed the phone for him to know that I was in a difficult situation. He placed the knife on my neck behind me and kicked me down. He urinated in my mouth and forced me to suck his penis, which I did. He forced me to have sex with him and forcefully undressed me. He forced me into that gruesome act,” she revealed with shock.
She added that the accused Dawda Tamba took her bag containing her iPhone X worth D15,000.00, iPhone 14X worth D48,000.00, ear pods, keys, and fiscal cash amount of D26,000.00. She said the taxi driver left her in that bush at around 2:00 hours.
“I walked from that point up to Penyem school where I met with my fiancé coming with a car, and he took me to BrikamaPolice Station where I gave my statement,” she uncovered during a court proceeding.
DSP Buteh Sawaneh asked the victim if she could recognize the bag and clothes she wore that day. She replied in the affirmative.
The items were shown to her, and she ascertained her recognition.
The prosecution tendered both the pink bag and clothes, which were admitted into evidence and marked as exhibits A and B, respectively.
The matter was adjourned to 29 October 2024 for the accused person’s cross-examination of the victim.
