Former military police officer, Modou Lamin Bah has alleged that private soldier, Lamin Colley deliberately shot and killed Sergeant Fafa Nyang on 11th November 1994 in the aftermath of an alleged coup plot.
Earlier this month, Colley told the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission that he mistakenly shot and killed Nyang. But in his testimony Tuesday, Bah accused Colley of lying and said he deliberately shot and finished Nyang.
Bah testified that the AFPRC military junta leaders including Sana Sabally, Edward Singhateh, Sadibou Hydara and Yankuba Touray, and Peter Singhate and then army commander, Baboucarr Jatta were all present at Yundum barracks when truck was packed in the barracks.
He quoted Sabally as saying “look at them in the truck. They want to be president”. Bah said it was at that juncture that he realised there were people inside the truck. When he climbed up to see what was inside, he saw Lt. Basiru Barrow and Lt. Abdoulie Dot Faal. He told the commission that both Barrow and Faal were motionless and dead.
“After that Edward [Singhateh] asked [Alagie] Kanyi to bring Fafa Nyang. So he was coming with Fafa Nyang, pushing him, asking him to run. He came until between the anteroom and the cook-house and they asked him to run for his life. His hands were tied behind and as he was running, looking behind, Edward first fired at him. He fell down and he wanted to get up again somebody by his [Edward] side whom I later realized that it was Lamin Colley also finished him.”
Bah and Colley at this time were in a group near the anteroom according to his testimony.
“Colley was standing there. If it would be a move, may be to have a firing position but not like run towards him. If he might have taken a position, may be a standing position whereby you have to suit your left foot forward to have a balance of your weight.”
Bah said he didn’t see Colley aiming his gun at Fafa Nyang but he saw his weapon releasing smoke after firing at Nyang.
“I definitely deny that [the claim of accidental discharge] because if it was an accidental shot he would not have hit his target. There are procedures in firing. You must have to look through the foresight blade to the tip of the front side blade to the target. You have to inline these things in order to hit your weapon. AK47 is not just like any other weapon.”
Accusing Colley of a cover-up, Bah told the TRRC that if an accidental discharge of fire occurred while the weapon was slung on a person’s shoulder, the likely landing place of the bullet would be on the person’s foot or somewhere very close to the person.
“But it cannot travel and go and hit somebody. That is not possible. Colley was just trying to build a cover up but if I were him, I would have said I shot him. If I were him I would have said I killed him.”
In another development, Bah admitted taking part in the July 22nd 1994 coup led by then Lt. Yahya Jammeh but said he fell out with the junta shortly after the coup.
He was later dismissed from the army.
