My Husband Was Castrated in Detention – Witness Tells TRRC

Kaddy Camara, a wife of former politician Alhagie Mamadi Sabally said her late husband had lost his manhood after he was allegedly tortured and castrated in detention by late former NIA Director Daba Marena and ex-police chief, F.R.I Jammeh.

“His legs, faces and all parts of body were swollen. He was also unable to talk for a week due to pain. He started vomiting this dark blood,”Camara told the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission Monday.

In her testimony, she said Alhajie Mamadi told her that during his incarceration Marenah and Jammeh took an instrument to break her husband’s testicles. Sabally, according to her, reported being tied with a rope from head to toes while they interrogate and beat him.

Alhajie Mamadi was arrested by the police following the 1994 military coup after his in-law and former Vice President, Saihou Sabally fled the country for exile. Alhajie Mamadi was arrested in Farafeni and the message was transmitted to the family by his daughter, Joko.

“She brought her clothes home and told us that her father said he was arrested and that we should thank God if we see him again.”

Camara, TTRC’s first woman witness said her husband was initially taken to the CID office in Banjul and when he called from there, “we all cried as we listened because he was crying.”

Alhaji Mamadi was later taken to Fajara Barracks and later detailed at Bambadinka, the most detention cell inside the NIA headquarters, according to Camara.

He was released after serving more than one year in detention

“He was in constant pain at home. He kept on saying that the pain he was going through would eventually kill him,” Camara told the TRRC.

Alhajie Mamadi later died at 2am and his last words were ‘Allahu Akbar (Allah is great)’.