16 Years: JAMMEH “MARRIED” FOUR WIVES!!!

The Scoop Of The Year

The State House On The Spotlight

By Pa Nderry M’Bai, Raleigh, NC

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Tel: 0011-919-749-6319

Since coming to power through a “bloodless” coup in July of 1994, Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has been engulfed in an unstable marital life, characterized by separations, divorces, and “secret” polygamous marriages—even though he ( Mr. Jammeh) had a strong grip of the impoverished country—once referred to as the “smiling” Coast of West Africa.  In a span of 16 years, Mr. Jammeh has married to four ladies—three of whom are Gambian born natives, while the fourth one is a Moroccan. These are top state secrets known to few people in Banjul. One has to be part of the Kanilai family tree to know such deep secrets we are posed to declassify online today. 

Out of the four marriages Jammeh entered into, two were made official, while the other two were treated as a “secret” affair. Jammeh’s Protocol team, family members, and some close aides in the military were aware of the four marital relationships the Gambian leader had tied in the past.

Tuti Faal Jammeh, was the First Lady Jammeh wedded during his rookie days at the State House in Banjul. He was a raw military man then  turned head of state—barely with any past “serious” girlfriend, or marital relationship.  Mr. Jammeh could not have married to Tutu without him becoming a head of state. Tutu wasn’t a “GOLD DIGGER” but comparatively she was not Jammeh’s match—to put it mildly.   

The marriage between Jammeh, and Tuti Faal could not work because of internal bickering, jealousy, and in some occasions domestic violence. The couple had a history of marital  problems. The relationship ended prematurely—with Tuti bundled out of the State House.

During an official visit to Morocco, Jammeh met his second wife Zeinab Suma Jammeh, a former flight attendant.  She is a Moroccan by birth—and also a Guinean descendant. Zeinab’s father is a Guinean, while her mother is a Moroccan national.

Like Tuti Faal, Zeinab Suma Jammeh too had a rough marital life with President Jammeh. Their relationship had been marred by internal squabbles. The pair are blessed with two fine kids: Mariam and Muhammed.  Muhammed will celebrate his third birth day in October. His birthday coincides with a rough marital life between his parents.

Amina Cole, a former Insurance agent, also a native of Lesowharlf Banjul was Jammeh’s third wife. The marriage between Madam Cole and Jammeh was reached secretly without the consent of his wife Zeinab Suma. Amina’s brother Ebrima Cole, a prominent Banjul Imam name withheld, and some few elders in Banjul presided over the secret wedding.

Ms. Cole was made to resign her Insurance job at Great Alliance Insurance Company after 14 years of active service. She married to President Jammeh. She was advised not to openly discuss her relationship with the President.  The whole plan was to keep Lady Zeinab in the wilderness.

Jammeh commutes between Kanilai and Banjul, where  Amina Cole spent the night with him during his Banjul retreats. Amina was all the time staying at their family house in Lesowharlf. She meets Jammeh at the State House under the escort of the State House Protocol team.

The likes of Ambassador Omar Gibba, one time State House Protocol officer, Deputy Chief Protocol officer James Kujabi, former CDS Lang Tombong Tamba, former Kanilai Commander Colonel Kawsu Camara, the late Major Musa Jammeh and Aziz Tamba were familiar faces at Ms. Cole’s Banjul home.  The men named herein were tasked with overseeing Madam Cole’s escort services to the State House.

Ambassador Omar Gibba in particular used to pick up Amina Cole from her home to the State House. Gibba was very instrumental in shaping the pair’s marital relationship. He is now on Diplomatic assignment in South America.

Aziz Tamba, used to bring sugar, rice and lam to the Ms. Cole family home in Banjul during Muslim festivities. He was Jammeh’s errand boy. Aziz is today serving close to ten years in prison.  His legal woes followed a strained relationship between him and the President.

The marital relationship between Jammeh and Amina Cole never worked out as anticipated.  After compelling her to resign from her job, Jammeh in a span of few months divorced Amina Cole. Amina was left in a state of wilderness. Her hopes for marital success story dashed away.

Luck come her way, when the late Senegalese religious leader, expressed interest in marrying Amina Cole. She was married to the old man up to the time of his demise recently, sources said.  President Jammeh even dispatched a condolence letter to the family of the late religious leader shortly after his unfortunate death.  

Alima Sallah 20, the daughter of a Gambian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhagie OG Sallah, was the fourth woman to marry to President Jammeh. Her recent marriage to The Gambian leader is being treated as a private “affair” just like in the case of Amina Cole.

Few Banjul elders converged to preside over the wedding ceremony. The President is yet to officially announce his new wife. Although, Mrs. Sallah Jammeh spent few nights at the State House while the First Lady Zeinab Suma Jammeh was on vacation in the United States.

Jammeh’s growing appetite for women doesn’t have boundaries. Prior to marrying Alima Cole, Jammeh was seeing Kani Jobe, the daughter of the late Jobe Dollar of Banjul. He invested heavily on Kani, but that relationship ended prematurely. 

Kani was lucky to enjoy Jammeh’s scholarship to Taiwan. The rest is now history. There are other girls out there Jammeh “messed” with in the past.

Mr. Jammeh even went as far as trying to interfere with Jobe Dollar’s  Kairaba Avenue family Estate, which was a subject of sale at some point. The old woman wanted Jammeh to help buy the property for them, but when his relationship with Kani ended, he Jammeh refused to grant audience to the old lady at the State House, sources said.  

Besides women, Jammeh is also obsessed with cars. The first Hummer truck to dock at the Banjul sea port belongs to one Alhagie Betty, a Gambian resident in the Netherlands. Mr. Betty’s Hummer was seized by President Jammeh, following Mr. Betty’s refusal to sell the truck to him. The Hummer was spotted at the ports by Bombardeh, who was ordered by Jammeh to turn in the truck despite all odds.

Mr. Jammeh even sent an NIA delegation to Alhagie Betty’s mother, prevailing on her to ask her son to sell the Hummer to the President. Mr. Betty received a phone call in Holland from the NIA agents, who told him that the “big man” wanted to buy his Hummer, but Betty politely told them that he bought the Hummer for his private use. But the NIA officers told him that he “risked” losing his Hummer if he fails to sell it to the President because Jammeh said he would not allow him to be the first Gambian to ride on such an expensive car.

Following their failure to persuade Mr. Betty to sell the Hummer, the President then decided to seize the Hummer. Mr. Betty has since turned his back to The Gambia. He has migrated to neighbouring Senegal, where he married to a Senegalese.  He closed bank accounts in retaliation. He shuttles between Holland and Senegal, where he now calls his home.