Tears in Brikama Court as Witnesses Allege Police Torture in Omar Badjie Inquest

The Brikama Magistrates’ Court was overcome with emotion on Monday as witnesses testified in the ongoing inquest into the death of 27-year-old Omar Badjie, recounting allegations of severe police abuse prior to his death in September 2025.

Two prosecution witnesses delivered emotional and detailed accounts of the events of 26 September 2025, alleging that Badjie was physically assaulted, humiliated, and beaten by police officers during an arrest in Mandinary. Their testimonies sharply contradicted the official position of the Gambia Police Force (GPF), which maintains that Badjie collapsed while fleeing from officers during a drug-related operation.

The inquest is being presided over by Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy.

The eighth witness, Malang Keita, a teacher and imam from Mandinary, broke down in tears as he told the court that he saw four police officers carrying Omar Badjie while he was handcuffed.

“Two officers were holding his hands, and two were holding his legs,” Keita testified. “Omar Badjie was humiliated and treated very badly.”

According to the witness, Badjie appeared unresponsive as he was being carried, with his head hanging downward. “His body was not moving, and saliva was coming out of his mouth,” Keita told the court.

Proceedings were briefly halted when the witness became overwhelmed with emotion, prompting distress among family members seated in the public gallery. Magistrate Mendy stood down the court momentarily to allow calm to be restored.

Keita further testified that he was threatened by one of the officers when he attempted to intervene and plead for Badjie’s life. He also told the court that he later faced hostility in his community after rumors spread that he had assisted the police. Fearing retaliation, he said he sought refuge at the Banjulinding Police Station following reports that youths intended to burn down his house—an allegation he denied.

The ninth witness, Ousainou Keita, also a teacher from Mandinary, corroborated the allegations of physical abuse. He testified that he saw an officer with dreadlocks confront Badjie while he lay in tall grass.

“The officer ordered him to stand up, but Omar said he could not,” the witness said. “That was when the officer slapped him.”

Ousainou Keita further alleged that the assault continued under a mango tree. He testified that when Badjie again stated he was unable to stand, the officer broke a branch from the tree and struck him around the neck before instructing other officers to carry him away.

When asked by Magistrate Mendy what he believed caused Badjie’s death, the witness responded, “Because of the torture.”

Written statements from both witnesses were admitted into evidence as exhibits MK1 and OK1.

The death of Omar Badjie in September 2025 triggered widespread unrest and remains a focal point of national debate over police conduct and accountability.

The inquest has been adjourned to Wednesday, 14 January 2026, at 2:00 p.m., as the court continues its inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the young man’s death.