Part one
By Gainako’s security correspondent in Banjul
Private Sulayman Sambou, a member of the Jungulars group based in Kanilai, under the command of Major Sanna Manjang and officers of the NIA (Intelligence) special operations unit are alleged to be behind the torture and killing of the opposition protesters demanding electoral reforms in The Gambia. Private Sambou and his colleagues had brutally tortured the April 14th, protesters who were arrested at Westfield, notably among them, UDP’s Ebrima Solo Sandeng, Nogoi Njie, Fatoumata Jawara, etc.
Impeccable sources at the NIA informed Gainako’s security correspondent in Banjul that the jungulars tortured Solo Sandeng to death and buried him at the NIA premises in Tanji. According to our sources, after Solo was buried, an agent at the NIA gave the opposition UDP leader Ousainou Darboe clear information about Solo’s torture which led to his untimely death. This was what aggravated the anger in Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and he called for an emergency press conference. It during was the said press conference on Saturday, 16th April 2016, that Lawyer Darboe called on his supporters to march along the streets of Kairaba Avenue to West Field and demand for the government to produce Ebrima Solo Sandeng, whether dead or alive, which led to his subsequent arrest and detention, alongside members of his party. Sources further revealed that this torture was meted out on protesters by the jungulars, to please Dictator Jammeh and restrict others from protesting against the Gambia government.
Alleged serial killer Sulayman Sambou who recently verbally attacked the media and online activists for accusing him of masterminding the torture and rape of the protesters especially the female folk, is a member of the 26th intake of the Gambia Armed Forces. He allegedly drinks alcohol and abuses women frequently. He is also engaged into drug business together with his boss Major Manjang and the rest of the Jungulars.
Both Private Sambou and his commander Major Sanna Manjang hailed from Kam Mamudou village in Foni, West Coast Region of The Gambia. Upon completion of his military training with the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), Private Sambou was posted to the 2nd infantry battalion at the Farafenni Barracks.
In late 2009, when Major Sanna Manjang took over from Lt. Col. Kawsu Camara alias Bombardier, who was head of the Jungulars group in Kanilai, he lobbied for Private Sambou’s transfer and attached him to himself under the Jungulars team in Kanilai because they are from the same village and are friends. At that time, Kawsu Camara, alias Bombardier was arrested alongside Major General Lang Tombong Tamba, former Chief of Defence Staff of GAF and seven others for their alleged involvement in an alleged coup against the Government of The Gambia.
In 2010 Private Sulayman Sambou underwent a heavy weapon’s course with the Iranian military in Kanilai and it was after this course that he gained promotion as a lance corporal in the Gambia Armed Forces. After the said course, he and another colleague of his called Lance Corporal Anthony, also a member of the jungulars were brought up into the Jungulars and were given heavy tasks each time they have an operation against anybody. Since then, Private Sambou and co had allegedly killed and tortured a lot of innocent Gambians.
Private Sambou was brought up into the Jungulars by Major Manjang and at that time, the Jungulars were divided into two groups, one group was based at the State House and the other was based at Kanilai. Members of the Kanilai Jungulars group are as follows;
Major Sanna Manjang from Kam Mamudou village, West Coast Region; WO2 Bai Lowe, currently living in exile; Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow alias Jalino from Giboro village in West Coast Region; Lance Corporal Musa AN Sarr from Mbollet village in the North Bank Region, also lives in exile; Sergeant Kujabi, the jungulars’ driver; Lance Corporal Anthony, and one Lance Corporal SH.
Private Sambou and the rest of the Kanilai jungulars are living in a big storey building in Kanilai called ‘Yama Tonge’, a Wollof parlance meaning ‘you offended me.’
According to our sources, this place is located near the President’s compound in Kanilai, along the highway to Alla Kunda. “The jungulars and a lot of senior officers posted to Kanilai allegedly kidnapped girls and even other peoples’ wives going to Kanilai for festivals and other political activities, and take them to this building and they abused them sexually and later released them. Just as the name implies, “Yama Tonge” so if any girl goes there, they will tell you clearly that you have offended them by going to their base, so they will forcefully have sex with you,” sources further hinted.
Alleged serial killer Private Sambou is married and lives with his family (wife and children) in Kanilai, at the place called ‘Yama Tonge’. In fact, this was the place where he took his son for circumcision some years back.
For Major Sanna Manjang, he has committed a lot of atrocities and is now trying to ‘pull head’, (Military parlance, meaning back-out or withdraw) in any incident and will always cover up his ‘boy boy’ Private Sulayman Sambou. One such incident is the case of Lance Corporal Musa AN Sarr, which led to his exile.
Details of that story and many more will be featured in Part Two of this piece.