By Mustapha Jallow
Yesterday, 18 September marked 11 years since the abduction of Mr. Lamin Kanyi alias Kanyiba, now presumed dead.
His widow, Isatou Kanyi, is calling on the state to exhume the remains of her husband for a fitting burial.
According to her, Monday 18th September 2017, marked 11 years since her husband was forcefully picked up by men in plain clothes during the era of the former regime.
She said that after the confirmation about the murder of her husband, the family mourned his death.
“We really want to know where our Kanyiba was buried, who killed him, what’s the motive behind the killing? We want a clear explanation from those responsible for my husband’s deaths,” she said.
“After the change of government we went to the office of Inspector General of Police to request for our loved one. Upon arrival we briefed him and he later directed us to the major crime unit, where a file was opened but few minutes later, we were informed by police investigators that my husband was killed,” she said.
She said that her only son who is now 11 years old keeps asking for the whereabouts of his father which sometimes make her cry in front of him.
“My son was born in darkness and he is still in the dark because at the time of his father’s arrest I was pregnant for his father. Up to date we don’t know where he was buried, we are yet to receive that information from the authorities and that’s what we want to hear from them,” she said.
Mrs. Kanyi further said the entire family of Kanyi is in a state of trauma as they describe him as a hardworking man who supports not only his family but people in need.
“I really lost my only one, why should they kill him?” He was the best man I ever had in my life,” she lamented.
She concluded by calling for justice to be done as soon as possible for husband and other people who had disappeared during the regime of former President Jammeh.
Kanyiba, a native of Jarra who was residing in Bonto village in Kombo East of the West Coast Region (WCR) and a former staff of the Christian Children Fund, (now Child Fund The Gambia) was abducted around 9:00pm by security officers, including a police officer in uniform.
He was abducted in the presence of his pregnant wife and other family members and whisked away.
A ‘writ of Habeas Corpus’ was also filed by members of the family at the high court some 10 years ago and Lawyer Ousainou Darboe was the counsel of the family but the state failed to produce him as commanded by the court.
