We were instructed by President Yahya Jammeh on the eve of the Point Newspaper anniversary back in December 16^th 2004, to shoot and kill the paper’s Managing Editor Deyda Hydara, alleges a self confessed hit man for Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh during an hour long interview with the Freedom Newspaper on Saturday.

“I was part of the team that followed Mr. Hydra, and the other passengers on board his vehicle at the material time. I was accompanied by Major Sana Manjang, Ex Army Colonel Kawsu Camara, alias (Bombaredeh), Malick Jatta, Tumbul Tamba (Deceased), and co while Interior Minister Ousman Sonko coordinated the entire operation. We were armed with double barrel gun. This type of weapon is not part of the Gambia Armed Forces weaponry. The President personally instructed us to use the double barrel guns to avoid the army being linked to the incident. It was a well coordinated operation,” further alleges the Gambian soldier. Below is the full text of the transcribed interview we had with the self confessed Jammeh hit man.

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We were instructed by President Yahya Jammeh on the eve of the Point Newspaper anniversary back in December 16^th 2004, to shoot and kill the paper’s Managing Editor Deyda Hydara. We rode on three taxi vehicles owned by President Jammeh, which was allocated to our team to execute the mission to take the life of Mr. Hydara.

I was part of the team that followed Mr. Hydra, and the other passengers on board his vehicle at the material time. I was accompanied by Major Sana Manjang, Ex Army Colonel Kawsu Camara, alias (Bombaredeh), Malick Jatta, Tumbul Tamba (Deceased) and co while Interior Minister Ousman Sonko coordinated the entire operation.

We were armed with double barrel gun. This type of weapon is not part of the Gambia Armed Forces weaponry. The President personally instructed us to use the double barrel guns to avoid the army being linked to the incident. It was a well coordinated operation.

When Deyda Hydara drove passed Jim Pex in Kanifing, near the police Intervention barracks, our assault team then launched an attack at his vehicle. Sana Manjang first open fire at Mr. Hydara at a close range. Wo2 Malick Jatta, the brother of former Army Chief of Staff Baboucarr Jatta, then fired the shot that killed Mr. Hydara. The Point Boss was killed by Malick Jatta’s shots.

Tumbul Tamba, was sitting right inside one of the Benz Taxis, we used for the operations to murder Hydara, when the shots were being fired at Hydara. He was our Commander then.

The two other point female Point staffers, who were riding with Hydara at the time, were not our primary target. Mr. Hydara was our target. We were given instructions by the Head of State Yahya Jammeh to murder Hydra. The orders were given to one of our ring leaders, and was filtered down to us for execution.

The President does not personally speak with our group to execute such killing missions. What he does, is to call one, or two among our team leaders to brief them about what needs to be done. This is how the secret killings, firebombing of media houses, abductions, and tortures are carried out in the country.

After killing Mr. Hydra, we retreated from the scene of the crime, and drove passed the Kanifing garage (Swegam)—next to the President’s warehouse. That’s where we normally park the three yellow Benz taxis he bought for our men. I could vividly remember when he the (President) assigned his former aide Aziz Tamba ( now in prison) to buy the taxi Benzes for him.

The whole idea was to be able to blend in among the public. The Head of State said he wants us to be discrete in our operations by blending with the other cab drivers in the streets. The three Benz taxis he bought for us was a mere decoy aimed at preventing the civilian population noticing those behind the wheels. These are the taxis that we used to carry out murders, abductions, tortures, and arson attacks in the country under the President’s directives.

Shortly after parking the Benz taxis at the President’s Kanifing warehouse, we boarded our regular patrol vehicles, and headed for our base in Kanilai, the President’s home villa.

On our arrival at Kanfenda, a village situated at the intersection of Kanilai, we had a brief stop there, where we handed the double barrel guns to one Bobo Manga. Mr. Manga, is a local hunter. He also claims to be a Marabout. He works at the President’s farm.

Upon return to base in Kanilai, the President was informed that the mission to kill Deyda Hydara, has been accomplished. This was how Mr. Hydara was murdered.

I witnessed the killing of Hydra. I will be more than willing to testify before any court of law; if this administration ceases to exist.

For now, I want my identity to be protected until such a time that a new administration is installed in The Gambia. I don’t mind you taking notes, and recording my voice for posterity.

We trust you Mr. M’Bai; that is why we are revealing all these atrocities that we had carried out wittingly, or unwittingly upon the instructions of the commander-in-chief President Jammeh. If our identity is blown, or compromised, Oga (President Jammeh) will not hesitate to murder us. This is just a tip of the iceberg. There are more classified state secrets that we intend to share with your readership including the international community.

I’m speaking out because I felt we have been used, and betrayed by Oga (President Jammeh). Right now, as we speak, our men are very, very angry with him. He uses people, only to discard them like toilet papers. We had executed a lot of high profile crimes for him, but this man thinks that we are fools. Our eyes are beginning to open now. He is not a good man as he portrays himself to the general public. He instructed us to kill Deyda, shoot Ousman Sillah, burn the Independent Newspaper, just to name a few.

Back in 2004, he also handed us a list of 22 prominent Gambians that he had in mind to be murdered. Pa Nderry M’Bai, you were part of that list to be killed including Lawyer Mai Fatty, Lawyer Ousman Sillah, Ndey Tapha Sosseh, and others.

Below is the current list of Jammeh’s hit men stationed at his Kanilai villa!

Colonel Saul Badjie

Tumbul Tamba( Now Deceased).

General Bora Colley

Colonel Solo Bojang

Major Sana Manjang

Major Nuha Badjie

Captain Modou Jarju

Wo1 Malick Jatta

O2 Michael Correa

02 Fansu Nyabally

Ex Colonel Kawsu Camara

O2 Mustapha Sanneh

O2 Michael Jatta

02 Alieu Jeng

Captain Landing Tamba

Captain Salifu Corr

02 Musa Badjie

Below is the list of the reinforcement team that serves as a backup for Jammeh’s hitmen!

John K Mendy

Momodou Lamin Tamba ( now dismissed)

Sang Mendy

Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow

Staff Sergeant Malick Manga

Sergeant Sulayman Sambou

Who Were Behind The Failed Assassination Attempt On The Life Of Ousman Sillah?

When instructions were given to kill Lawyer Ousman Sillah, our men executed the plot, but fortunately for Mr. Sillah he survives the incident. Colonel Saul Badjie, Borra Colley, Malick Jatta, Sanna Manjang were among those who executed the mission to shoot and kill Lawyer Ousman Sillah. The late Tumbul Tamba and Musa Jammeh widely known as Maliamungu, or Chemical Ali were active members of the President’s hit squad.

We had a slogan called: " We will kill you in the interest of The Gambia." Our men murdered Jasaja Kujabi, Mr. Haruna Jammeh and Marcie Jammeh. We had twenty weeks commandos training with the then Libyan training team who were sent to Banjul to train us. Colonel Saul Badjie, and others were trained in Libya. Borra Colley is our commander. More on this will follow later.

Editors note: The Jammeh Government is free to tell us their own side of the story. We had the confessing soldier(s) on tape. We will keep the recorded tape; until such a time that the soldier deems it imperative for us to release it to the public. We owe it to the family of Deyda Hydara to trace his killers.

Mr. Hydara was kind of a Godfather, cum mentor to our Editor Pa Nderry M’Bai. Our years of intensive investigations into the murder of Hydara is bearing fruits. The truth is now coming to light! There are more stories line up for publication. Thanks for your attention.