(Culled from The Sunday Observer of February 3, 2002.
Fafa Sawo, a lunatic in his late twenties has reportedly burnt down four houses and attempted to set several others ablaze in just five days, sources disclosed to the Sunday Observer.
The arson attacks started on Tuesday January 29, 2002 when Fafa set his brother’s house on fire and went into hiding. Sources in Sawo Kunda – Fafa’s family home said when his brother was going to bed that night, he removed his padlock from the gate but Fafa got another padlock, locked their house door and set the fence bordering the house on fire so that the inhabitants would not escape from either side.
As neighbors gathered to put out the fire in Sawo Kunda, Fafa walked for 600 Metres and set ablaze one Kebba Jatta’s house at 12.45 A.M. He went further to burn Mr. Kebba Jatta’s kitchen, and a small room housing his goats. Mr. Jatta said he lost D5, 000.00 cash in the fire, money given to him to but corrugated iron sheets for roofing. In addition one wooden bed and two mattresses were burnt to ashes. He also lost three bags of groundnuts and four chairs.
At 4.00 A.M. the same night, Fafa went to Lamin Manneh’s house in Gunjur and set it also ablaze. According to Mr. Manneh’s cousin, Baboucar Camara, Mr. Manneh lost D250.00, clothes, shoes and furniture in the arson attack. Camara said that people who came to help them heard Fafa saying: “I have burnt them, they will all die there”.
Earlier on Sunday at about 4.00 A.M, Fafa attempted to burn the house of one Daddy Bass but the fire was put out no sooner it started.
Mr. Bass and Camara said that Fafa had given notice that he would burn the houses at 4.00 A.M. on these respective days. Mr. Bass accused the Gunjur police of inaction, saying that he reported the case to them but the police never visited his house to inspect it. Bass further alleged that Fafa had told him (Bass) that the big question making the rounds was: “Is Fafa is a real lunatic?” “He may be mad but he has not burnt his own house”, some angry people said. What is real though, is that he has been admitted at the Campama metal home on a number of occasions.
At about 11.00 A.M on Wednesday, he was arrested by the police at the beach and taken to Kartong.
Have a good day, Gassa.