By Yankuba Jallow
Baboucar Mboob, a former member of the GNA has on Tuesday told the TRRC that he did not participate in the murder of Lieutenant Fafa Nyang.
Many witnesses who testified before the TRRC said Mboob along with Alagie Kanyi brought Lieutenant Nyang to where he was murdered on 11th November 1994.
“I did not manhandle Fafa Nyang. I did not participate in the killing of Fafa Nyang,” Mboob said.
About November 1994
He said he was with the military police at the Army Headquarters in Banjul, but was residing in Yundum Barracks. He said on the 10th November 1994, he was informed by Lieutenant Fafa Nyang to join a coup that was supposed to be staged by members of the Gambia National Army, but he declined to give answers to him as to who were the leaders of the coup. The witness told the Commission that he was not part of the November 11 coup planning because he was not going to join something that he doesn’t know the full details about.
He said after the briefing by Lieutenant Nyang, he convinced his wife to go to Serrekunda to stay with her aunt because there was an imminent threat of a coup. He said looking at the camp; one would realize that something was being cooked.
“I support the regime at that time. I know I was not going to participate in any coup and when my service is needed; I am ready for that. I was definitely loyal to the then government,” the witness said.
He said on the 11th November 1994, he was woken up by gunshots in the Yundum Barracks early in the morning. He said after hearing the gunshots, he ran to the Guard Room and saw soldiers in the Barracks including Edward Singhatey and many other soldiers around the Ante-Room. He denied hearing any gunshots at night.
He said when he reached; he met Edward Singhatey giving orders to soldiers to go and grab Fafa Nyang and kill him.
“That was the time I saw soldiers running to Guard Room to bring Fafa Nyang. That was the place I realized that Fafa Nyang was locked up in the Guard Room. In a matter of minutes, I saw Fafa Nyang running naked because they were forcing him to run. Actually, they were forcing him to crawl,” the witness said.
He said at the time Nyang was being brought to Edward Singhatey, some of the soldiers were kicking and beating him.
“Definitely, I cannot remember the soldiers who did that right now,” the witness said.
“When he got there, Edward Singhatey gave the final order that Fafa Nyang should be executed. I was right there standing although I don’t know the soldiers because they were not from the Barracks,” the witness adduced.
He averred that Lieutenant Nyang was further asked to run for his life.
“When Fafa Nyang ran up to the cookhouse and stop, I saw Staff Sergeant Lamin Gassama and Private Balla Gibba both of them were standing in a firing position at that time,” the witness said.
He said he saw Gassama and Gibba aiming their weapons at Nyang. He indicated that the shot that hit Nyang must have come from either Gibba or Gassama.
“From this time up to today, I believe the shot came from one of them; Gibba or Gassama. It could have been another soldier but I did not see another soldier there. These two definitely were in a firing position and when the shot was made, I saw Balla Gibba putting his gun down,” the witness said.
He said after the shooting, Nyang was still alive but Lamin Colley released two gunshots that eventually killed Nyang.
“Colley first released a shot and missed, but the second one actually killed Nyang. Colley’s action was deliberate and not an accidental discharge,” the witness said.
A video of Ensa Mendy was played where he testified that the witness alongside Corporal Alagie Kanyi were the people who took out Lieutenant Nyang from the Guard Room and took him where he was shot and killed.
In his reaction, the witness said: “that is incorrect. As far as I know, Fafa Nyang was not even grabbed at the time I saw him, instead he was allowed to run naked. Ensa Mendy was telling lies, sir.”
He said he was part of a group that went to arrest Gibril Saye and handed him over to RSM Papu Gomez who tied Saye in their presence. He said Lieutenant Saye along with other officers and soldiers were put in a vehicle and taken away.
He admitted participating in the shooting of soldiers at the range where Lieutenant Saye and others were executed by members of the junta and their orderlies.
Biography
Baboucar Mboob said he was born on the 1st October 1957 in Ndungu Kebbeh, Lower Nuimi District in the North Bank Region. He said he was enlisted in the Gambia National Army in 1991 intake number 15. He said after the training, he was deployed to the Yundum Barracks.
