By Sainabou Sambou
The murder trial of Momodou Bah, accused of killing prominent former University of The Gambia Students’ Union vice president and graduate assistant Yunusa Mbaye, continued on Thursday before Justice S.K. Jobarteh at the High Court in Banjul.
State counsel A. Drammeh led the prosecution, while C. Mendy represented the accused. The court heard gripping testimony from the third and fourth prosecution witnesses, shedding light on the chaotic moments following the fatal stabbing incident on 15 June 2026 at Fajara, behind GTBank.
Abdoulie Ceesay, a mechanic from Bundung and the third prosecution witness (PW3), told the court he was leaving his garage to buy breakfast when he arrived at a junction and saw the victim running ahead of the accused. Ceesay said Mbaye had already been stabbed by the time he reached the scene. Initially mistaking the pair for men simply chasing each other, he realized they had been fighting.
“The victim suddenly collapsed,” Ceesay testified. “The accused did not attack him again but ran away.” He rushed to help Mbaye as a crowd of six or seven people gathered. Some pursued the fleeing Bah. A taxi soon arrived, and Ceesay and others lifted the severely injured victim inside. He described horrific injuries: “There was too much blood. The wound was so deep it looked like his intestines were coming out.”
Overwhelmed by the sight, Ceesay said he was too frightened to accompany Mbaye to the hospital. Only the taxi driver left with the victim. By then, members of the public had apprehended Bah and returned him to the scene, where the crowd began beating him. Ceesay admitted joining the assault but later intervened, urging the mob to stop and hand the suspect over to police, as they did not yet know if the victim would survive.
At the police station, Bah allegedly claimed Ceesay had taken D500 from him. Ceesay provided his phone number to officers after reporting the stabbing.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mendy, Ceesay conceded he did not witness the actual stabbing. He maintained, however, that Bah was responsible because only the two men were present at the junction before others arrived. He rejected suggestions that he was absent from the scene or relying on hearsay, insisting he saw the neck wound and Bah’s movements. Ceesay also admitted participating in beating the accused and confirmed he had no law enforcement or medical background.
The fourth prosecution witness (PW4), police officer Ousman Jammeh of Kairaba Police Station, testified that he received information about the murder around 2:17 p.m. and rushed to the scene with colleagues. By the time they arrived, Mbaye had already been taken to hospital. Witnesses told Jammeh that Mbaye was sitting under a tree listening to music on a Bluetooth speaker while marking students’ examination scripts when Bah approached and asked him to lower the volume. When refused, a disagreement escalated into a push, after which Bah allegedly stabbed Mbaye in the neck with a broken bottle.
Jammeh observed bloodstains at the scene and escorted witnesses to the station for statements. Under cross-examination, he confirmed Bah had already been taken to the police station before his team arrived. He was the senior officer present, saw only bloodstains personally, and noted that Crime Scene Investigators had preceded them. He had no direct interaction with the CSI team.
The matter was adjourned to Tuesday, 21 July 2026, at 11:00 a.m. for continuation.
The case has drawn significant public attention, given Mbaye’s stature as a former student leader and educator at the University of The Gambia. Bah has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
