By Abubacarr Saidykhan
A
resident (name with held) of Makunbaya who was abducted by witch
hunters in the early hours of Tuesday, on the 25th day of February
2009, at about 11:00am in Makumbaya in the Western Region of the
country, indicated that she was raped by one of her captors.
According to her, she was raped by a young man while she was in
captivity in a compound they called Baba Jobe’s compound. The victim
who was in an angry mood, said she was at the Makumbaya village garden
when she and her colleagues received a messenger who claimed to be sent
by the Alkalo, Alhagie Kujabi; that all the Gardeners should
immediately go and answer to a very important guest from the president.
She said whilst on their way to the Alkalo, they met with the
so-called witch hunters that were accompanied by armed personnel and
young men and women in green clothes. The woman added that after she
was abducted by the group, she was told that she was possessed by
demons that “gave her their shirts without her notice”, and that being
the case, she had to go to Kololi with them in order for her to be
cured of the spell.
The distraught woman said upon their arrival
at Kololi, she was told by the witch hunters that she should drink the
concoction so that they could start her treatment. She said her captors
forced her to drink the concoction; and shortly after drinking the
liquid that night, she said she fell down and went into a trance and
did not know where she was or what was happening to her.
She said a
young man raped her while she was under detention at Kololi; that she
was raped during the second day of her detention at Kololi. She said
while in captivity, this young man would come to her and ask her to
take bath; and that while she was taking bath; the young man would
stand and look at her while she was naked. She said whenever she
planned to go to the toilet to urine or defecate; the young man would
insist that he was going to accompany her.
She lamented that it was during one of those instances that the young man wrestle her to the ground and forcefully raped her.
The
victim said after undergoing this ordeal, her daughter who is a police
at the Banjulinding Police Station came to Kololi and requested for her
release.
She said that was how she regained her freedom. She said if she sees the man who raped her, she would recognise him.
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This is abhorent and disgusting to the
highest degree. Only this woman knows the kind of ordeal she was
forced to endure. I can only imagine the pain and trauma she must be
going through right now. Suffering abduction, kidnapping and
imprisonment for no reason and being forced to drink something God
knows what, then you are inviolated and raped is simply
incomprehensible.
Are the authorities gonna take notice and investigate (i think not).
For real peace and justice to prevail, it is not enough releasing
Halifa Sallah as noted in the Foroyaa Editiorial but to stop the witch
hunt and the crimes associated with it immediately. This woman's case
may be just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows what happen to others
who were abducted and kidnapped. Some may be ashame or afraid to come
forward and speak about what happened to them whilst being kidnapped.
This lady is very brave.
Rape is a heinous and despicable crime. It destroys the victim, causes
self-doubt and brings about low self-esteem. Victims sometimes blame
themselves for it and thus it is imperative for help to be provided and
those accused must be confronted immediately for justice and peace to
prevail.
In the name of peace and justice this lady's plight must be
investigated and those accused must be stopped from 'circulation' until
the truth is established. They are a danger to the public. The ordeal
of rape, one can imagine is painful. The scar and wound inflicted by
rapists to their victims is permanent, degrading and can never be
healed properly. The real witches and wizards are the rapists who have
destroyed the soul of this dignified lady. Something must be done.
This is vile and just unimaginable.
Mboge