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Sgt. Illo Jallow: Murder in the backwoods
Tuesday, 25 January 2011 23:12
By Mathew K JallowHe stood no chance against five drunken thugs determined to snuff the precious life out of his body, and so, one fateful night two weeks ago, to those he knew and worked with, he lost his dear life. Sgt. Illo Jallow, against the better judgment of some of his other co-workers, was thrusting to the point of naivety. But Illo Jallow had everything to live for when his life was cut short in a senseless murder reminiscent of many other
brutal murders committed on the orders of Yahya Jammeh. For the Gambian regime and the people of our country, Illo’s death is déjà vous all over again; an incident symptomatic of the parade of cruelty and barbarity that still continues to claim the lives of innocent Gambians. From the very beginning, accounts of Illo’s death did not add up, raising suspicions that he was possibly murdered. But the cruel fate which befell Sgt. Illo Jallow is not unlike what happened to other Gambians over the past decade and half; the epitome of dark side of the cruel underbelly of life under the regime of Yahya Jammeh. And back home in Niamina, family members’ observation of Sgt. Illo Jallow’s dead body confirmed our worst fears. For a person involved in a deadly vehicular accident in which he was thrown out of his vehicle, as claimed by the official account of his death, there were no injuries on his body. In stead, family members adamantly maintain that the only visible signs of injuries on Sgt. Illo’s dead body were ligature marks around his neck, clearly pointing to a possible strangulation. “If you looked at his body, you would think he was just sleeping” a family member from home told one of my nephews in New York City. Like all previous murders committed by Yahya Jammeh’s regime, Illo,s death has generated a lot of speculations as to what led to his demise. For a man who was so loved by so many for his poise, good nature and respect for people, it is hard to imagine that Illo would deliberately create enemies for himself, particularly in the deadly environment surrounding the lives of the Gambia’s military and security establishment. As usual, after the murder followed speculations of Sgt. Illo Jallow’s romantic relations with Yahya Jammeh’s wife, Zaineb, and that his death was driven by Jammeh’s jealousy, but others familiar with Illo’s relationship with Zaineb Jammeh, confirm that although Zaineb was fond of her bodyguard, Illo was too much of a professional to engage in any sexual relations with her. What drove Yahya Jammeh to order a hit on an innocent young man may never be known, but what is clear is that it did not have to happen. If this can happen to a man with such a large family that extends to all the Niaminas and beyond, it can happen to anybody. For Sgt. Illo Jallow’s family, his murder has brought home the realization that killing of innocent citizens, which long ago became the panacea for all of Yahya Jammeh’s political misfortunes, continues to be used as an instrument of intimidation and terror for the purpose of political control. As a family, we mourn the untimely death of Sgt. Illo Jallow at the hands of Yahya Jammeh’s thugs both within the military and security services and the civilian population, but we equally recognize the pain suffered by other families too many to mention; families whose loved ones did not have to die so needlessly. As we search for the truth surrounding Illo Jallow’s murder, we will continue to advocate for all the dead who have no one to speak for them; to seek answers for why they had to die and to restore justice on their behalf so their martyrdom will not be in vain. Like Momodou Bah whose lifeless body washed up the beach in Barra only four months ago, like Malafi Jarju whose murder last year remains fresh in our memories, like Daba Marenah and Co. who were executed in cold blood, and the cruel murders of many other military and security personnel whose names we still don’t know, Sgt. Illo Jallow has paid the ultimate price of being a soldier in the Gambian military. He left this earth without saying his last goodbyes, and now his soul has disappeared into the sunset, never again to return. To him and all the dead victims of Yahya Jammeh’s deadly regime we say “rest in perfect peace.” And while you are gone, remember to pay our respects to Deida Hydara, to Koro Ceesay, to Sgt. Dumbuya, to Daba Marenah, to Basirou Barrow and to all the others far too many to mention; whose lives were cut short by the hand of a madman.
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This is truly very sad!
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