In the inquest proceedings of the late Omar Badjie, a witness, Majula Jammeh, testified today in Court that she saw the late Omar Badjie being repeatedly slapped and struck with a mango tree branch by a plainclothes police officer shortly before he died in custody.
The inquest before Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy was initiated following the death of Omar Badjie on the 26th September 2025, after an alleged confrontation with police officers in Mandinaring.
The proceedings began with the conclusion of the testimony of Omar Badjie’s uncle or stepfather, Mr Tumane Badjie.
Before being discharged, Tumane Badjie confirmed to Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy that Omar was a healthy, hard-working young boy, a footballer and block-maker who regularly contributed to his father’s support. Tumane Badjie tendered nine photographs of the incident site, which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits TB1 to TB9.
After Tumane Badjie was discharged, Majula Jammeh, a resident of Mandinaring, was called to the stand to testify about events on September 26, 2025. She told the court that around 10:00 a.m. that day
Majula Jammeh recalled the morning of September 26, 2025, around 10:00 a.m., while standing under her veranda, she heard shouting and saw people running. She was told police were having an issue with some boys.
She testified that she then saw Omar Badjie jump or scale the fence opposite her compound, with three police officers pursuing him.
“After a while, we heard someone shouting, so we ran towards where the voice was coming from,” she testified.
When she reached the scene, the three officers had already handcuffed Omar and brought him to the road. She stated that when the officers asked him to walk, Omar told them he could not, claiming his legs were weak.
Majula Jammeh testified that a fourth officer, in plain clothes and different from the trio who chased Omar, then began assaulting him.
“This plainclothes officer slapped Omar and told him that he must walk,” she narrated.
Under questioning from Magistrate O. Mendy, whether she knew the officer, the witness confirmed she did not know the officer’s name but recognised him from Mandinaring Police Station as she used to pass him at the Mandinaring Police Station.
Majula further testified that when Omar again insisted he could not walk, the officer became more aggressive.
“The same plainclothes officer slapped Omar again,” the witness said. “He (The plainclothes officer) cut a branch from a mango tree, insulted Omar and said he must walk. He used the branch that he cut from the mango tree and beat Omar.”
Majula Jammeh stated she turned and went home crying, telling her neighbours, “The way I saw them beating Omar, no woman who gave birth to a child would stand and look at that.”
The witness continued her testimony, stating that she later saw the officers bringing Omar toward her compound gate, still handcuffed, with one officer holding each arm.
Majula Jammeh added that when Omar again faltered, the plainclothes officer intervened once more.
“They forced him to walk. ‘Get up and walk,’ one of the police officers told Omar. I saw the same plainclothes officer slap Omar again for the fourth time. When he slapped Omar, he (Omar) shouted and fell to the ground, but the handcuffs were still on his hands,” she testified.
Majula Jammeh testified to her deep distress shouting and putting her hands on her ears as she watched the collapse.
“I shouted and put my hands on my ears. I told my neighbours that if Omar survives, he will have a problem with his ears. I don’t know the reason why they were slapping him (Omar),” she concluded.
Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy adjourned the matter to Wednesday, December 3, 2025, for the continuation of Majula Jammeh’s testimony.
By Kexx Sanneh
