Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia witnessed a grim weekend marked by two separate incidents that have left communities shaken — the death of a newborn allegedly dumped by his mother in Tallinding Farokono and the shocking killing of a 15-year-old boy in Dongoro Ba.
Police in Tallinding Farokono confirmed that 25-year-old Isatou Jawneh of Farato was brought to the charge office by a crowd after being accused of attempting to abandon her newborn child. Officers quickly escorted the baby to Kanifing General Hospital, but the infant was pronounced dead on arrival.
During questioning, Jawneh, who is married, reportedly admitted that the pregnancy was the result of a relationship with her boyfriend. As tensions escalated, the large and angry crowd forced police to transfer her to Bundung Police Station for her safety.
The deceased baby was later moved to the Banjul mortuary for preservation and a possible postmortem.
While that tragedy unfolded in the urban area, a chilling crime was uncovered in Dongoro Ba. The remains of 15-year-old Biran Jallow were exhumed after a shocking confession by farmer Bubacarr Dem.
According to accounts, Dem allegedly shot the teenager and secretly buried him in the bush. After the killing, he asked one of his daughters to bring him a pickaxe, concealing from her what had just transpired. Later, one of his wives grew suspicious when she saw him washing a bloodstained shirt — an unusual act since Dem never washed his own clothes. Pressed for answers, he reportedly confessed to her that he had killed the boy.
Initially, Dem denied the crime during police interrogations. But by Friday, he broke down and led investigators to the shallow grave where he had buried Jallow. The teenager’s body was exhumed on Sunday and given a reburial.
Dem now faces a life behind bars, leaving behind two wives and fourteen children.
The two cases — the alleged infanticide in Farokono and the cold-blooded killing in Dongoro Ba — have drawn widespread shock, painting a picture of a deeply troubling weekend in The Gambia.
