By an Insider
While some condemn the widespread public commentary on the issue of the murdered constables of the Gambia Police Force, the commentaries also draw the interest of people who may have some foundational knowledge, experience, or even expertise in conducting investigations and gathering evidence. Like most of us, they too are not convinced of the state’s account of events surrounding the murder of police officers at the Sukuta-Jabang traffic lights. Their voluntary insights and theories can also be helpful.
One such insight holds that the police ought to be looking for a thoughtful, highly trained, able-to-act under pressure shooter!
Below we reproduced the account received from someone with a little more information than the public and someone close to sources, and/or with access to the relevant information.
According to initial police investigation reports released to the public, the shooter was one Ousainu Bojang. A native of Brufut, with ties to the southern Senegalese region of Casamance, where he was born. Two things were apparent about the alleged suspect: he was in financial trouble, and he was mentally disturbed, as testified to by family and friends.
As has already been made public, lots of journalists and media personnel interviewed family members of the suspect, neighbors, coworkers and even some eyewitnesses to the crime. One such investigator put forward the following:
“I have visited the scene and spoken to several witnesses.” Based on those interactions, the eyewitnesses stated that the shooter “shot Pateh first.” Why is that relevant?It must be noted that Pateh, according to the eyewitnesses, “was the one armed with the only gun on the scene.”
“Then he shot Sang.” According to the witnesses, the female constable then started approaching. “He went for her too.” But the shot was only enough to disable her and not enough to kill her.
So, the shooter assessed the threat level posed to him and acted in order of threat significance. He shot to eliminate the armed officer first, then the only male officer and then the woman, probably to prevent her from acting in her colleague’s rescue. That is not an amateur move, it’s a calculated one.
This investigator could confirm that the two male victims were shot in the chest, lethal shots.
What does that tell you about the shooter? He is good at it. He is trained to work under pressure, because immediately after the first shot rang, it alerted not just the 2 other PIU officers but drew the attention of the crowd nearby and some started approaching. That would unnerve an amateur, or even make them panic. But guess what, his second shot was better. And he did not shoot at anyone in the crowd even when folks started approaching him. He only shot in the air. Why?
Because he came with a specific target in mind (the PIU officers), no one else. Had he come to kill randomly, he would have shot at people randomly. But clearly, he was on a mission with a clear target, after the targets were eliminated, he fled the scene.
Based on that, the prevalent view is that it was not an amateur shot. Even government officials agreed to that notion when they stated at the press conference that the shooter is a highly trained individual.
So, if one is to build a profile of the shooter from this information alone, few things stand out; we are looking for a thoughtful, highly trained individual who knows how to not just identify a threat, but to rank them in order of immediacy. Observe the order in which he murdered the victims. A very good shooter who is trained to operate and remain focused under pressure.
Take a recap of these decisions.
- He shot the officer armed with a gun first (Pateh Jallow)
- He shot the only other male officer next and then the woman last.
- He shot both men in the chest.
- The target location (traffic lights) is far from close police units, easy exit route (Jabang, Sukuta, Coastal roads).
- Only shot in the air. No single shot at citizens attempting to arrest him. Why?
- The shooter made determined efforts to survive. Certainly not a suicide mission and showed no sign of mental instability.
With that in mind, let us shift focus to the alleged shooter currently in police custody.
First, according to some in his family, he has some ongoing mental challenges.
His family disputed his relationship with rebels. In fact, his friends in Brufut laugh when you tell them the government said Ouzo (which is what he is called) is a highly trained rebel. This is important because outside of the military and state security apparatus, Gambians do not get weapons training, most do not even know what a gun sounds like except in movies. So where did the suspect get the training from?
He is also in financial trouble. More importantly, police claimed he confessed to being in a crowd that attended the Yankuba Darboe hearing with a gun.
First, Ouzo’s friends have said that he has never been known to be involved in politics. And he also exhibited the tendency of a mentally sick person from their observation of his frequent irrational behaviors. He was also talking to a hacker online, posing as a girl and grew paranoid after their encounter.
The government spokesperson stated that the suspect was observed on video tape at the courthouse in Banjul as part of the solidarity showing for Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council, a claim that was repeated at the police press conference. At the press conference, the officials claimed that the suspect confessed to being at the venue.
It turns out the picture the police claimed was him in the crowd in Banjul, was in fact one Lamin Ceesay, a driver of Yankuba Darboe. So, why did Ouzo lie to the police? And why did the police keep him in custody as the only credible suspect even after lying to the police and police knowing that fact? Why are the police not searching for a different potential shooter when the rest of the police is worried to death that PIU are exposed and more shooting could still be done? Knowledge is comfort. But we will come to that later.
Since the 12th, the police have arrested only family members of the suspect despite some supposed elaborate plan. Other than that, they went on a phishing mission, trying so badly to connect UDP to the shooting, through connecting Momodou Sabally and Sheriffo Sonko to the executions. Those two are currently out of police custody with pending charges of threatening public officials.
Here are the fears all genuine Gambians had after the shooting. Most folks concluded that it was a targeted killing which means that the PIU officers were targeted.
Here is an even scary question. A shooter targeted 3 police in what is one of the country’s worst shootings. Everyone is uncomfortable except the police. While they have a man in custody who has lied about being in Yankuba’s crowd, found no gun and no elaborate plan, much less a financier except family members, they are busy on a political case with Sabally and Sonko which is totally not connected to the shooting. Doesn’t that show the police knew there would be no further targeted shooting? If that is true, how did they know that?
The president of the republic and his party members appeared to have their answers immediately after the shooting. He claimed it was meant to intimidate the security forces and the government. How did the President know that?
During their press conference, after their information to Ebrima Sankareh was dismissed, the police adjusted the story.
Now, the suspect is charged for the murder of the police officers, there has not been another press conference by the police, so we do not know what other evidence besides the “confession” of the suspect they are in possession.
The lawyers of the suspect have started complaining that the police are acting in defiance of a court order and limiting his right to access legal counsel.
This certainly will be an interesting case as we watch it unfold in the courts.
Mankajang 