By Sainabou Sambou
A chilling account of a deadly clash over disputed forest land rocked the High Court in Banjul on Thursday as prosecution witness Bruma Cham testified in the murder trial of Bubacarr Drammeh.
Presiding over the case, Justice Omar Cham heard graphic testimony from Cham, a former research and investigation officer at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and currently working as a security personnel. Drammeh, the accused, faces three serious charges – including murder – stemming from a violent confrontation on 9 March 2019 in Butunku, a contested area between Berending and Madina Salam in Gunjur.
Appearing as the third prosecution witness, Cham told the packed courtroom how a routine land demarcation exercise descended into chaos and bloodshed. The State is represented by M.D. Mballow, while defence counsel K. Jallow represents Drammeh.
Cham testified that he joined a group of 19 people at the site after receiving a call confirming a court judgment existed on the long-running dispute. Upon arrival, he found the land already cleared and a bulldozer expected to begin work.
Tension escalated, Cham said, when Buba Jammeh received a threatening text message from the accused: “If I find you in the bush, I will kill you today.” Despite Cham urging Jammeh to report the threat to the police, the group pressed on with the demarcation.
Moments later, Drammeh and a group of armed men allegedly arrived. Cham told the court the accused was carrying a hunting gun and wearing protective charms. Efforts to explain their peaceful intent failed, he said, as Drammeh ordered the bulldozer to stop.
What followed was a brutal assault. Five men from Drammeh’s group allegedly attacked Cham’s team, beating Momodou Manjang and fatally injuring Kunfa Jatta, who died three months later from head wounds. Cham testified he saw Drammeh fire at the bulldozer driver, who narrowly escaped.
The most harrowing moment came when Drammeh allegedly shot Buba Jammeh point-blank after knocking him to the ground with a stick. “His intestines were out,” Cham told a stunned courtroom, describing how a colleague tore his shirt to wrap the victim’s gaping wound.
Cham himself was stabbed in the chest with a deer horn by a man identified as “Dou” during the melee. Fleeing for help, he was chased by three men who accused him of carrying charms – an accusation he refuted by lifting his shirt.
Cham later learned Buba Jammeh had been rushed to Brikama Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. While giving his police statement, the Gunjur police station came under attack by angry community members who set parts of it ablaze.
Under cross-examination, defence counsel K. Jallow probed Cham’s background. The witness confirmed he had never served in the Gambia Police Force and detailed his previous roles at the TRRC and the Independent Electoral Commission.
The trial, which has gripped the Kombo Coastal region, was adjourned to Monday, 8 December 2025, at 10:00 a.m. for continuation.
