Africa-Press – Gambia. The inquest into the death of Omar Badjie, who died following an encounter with police on 26th September 2025, continued yesterday with the testimony of the fifth witness.
Tumane Badjie, who is the late Omar Badjie’s uncle, was sworn in on the Qur’an and chose to give his testimony in Mandinka. He told the court he is from Mandinaring and confirmed his family relationship with the deceased: “The father and I shared the same mother and father,” he said.
When asked by Principal Magistrate whether he recalled the events of 26th September, Tumane Badjie confirmed he did. He told the court that he had been at home since the morning and only learned of the incident around 11:00 a.m.
The witness explained that while he and Omar did not live in the same room, they shared the same compound. Omar had informed the family that he was leaving for work at the Mandinaring Health Center, where construction work was ongoing at the mortuary. Tumane Badjie said he could not recall the exact time Omar left, but confirmed that he did not return home alive.
Narrating what he learned, Tumane Badjie told the court: “Around 11:00 a.m., I was at the compound when someone called, Soffie Sanyang. She informed me that Omar was at the Mandinaring Health Center and had a problem with the police. I went there and found Omar lying down. I also met my elder brother Bakary Sanyang, Soffie, the nurses attending to Omar, and one police officer standing nearby.”
When asked if he could identify the police officer or the nurses present, Tumane Badjie said he could not, noting it was his first time seeing them.
The Principal Magistrate, Anna, adjourned the proceedings and scheduled the continuation of the fifth witness’s testimony for Wednesday, 26th November 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
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