Kicked-Out of Their Compounds

Bewildered Mr Saloum Camara and wives stood at the outskirts of their compound wondering where to find an abode as the family has been kicked-out of the compound he acquired and occupied since 1994.

Mr Camara, a carpenter, is neither an ecological nor a war refugee, but woke-up Wednesday morning to the order by a ‘stranger’ backed by the police to remove all his belongings from the house without an option of negotiation.

Kunkujang Keitaya, a village in Kombo North was a scene of astonishment, a situation residents referred to as ‘injustice.’

“I was at work when my wife called to inform me that officers of the Police Intervention Unit  ordered us to remove all our belongings from the compound,” in a somber yet hopeless tone.

And it was the same story narrated by Mr Manneh and Mr Jatta and their families all of whose compounds have been put under lock and key; their belongings thrown outside, courtesy of an aging man called Foday Makasuma who claimed to have owned the said land.

But this was not the first time Foday has been claiming ownership of the said compounds, the residents said. In 2005, he came with the police when he claimed to own 32 compounds, including Wednesday victims.

“We were all ordered by the police to remove our belongings,” a 2005 victim Mr Wandifa Njie an Arabic scholar recalled. “They came with boys who threw-out our belongings from our compounds.

“I was confused, not knowing what to do. Because even a tenant is required to be notified before being sent-off rather than me who legally purchased my land since 1990.

“But since they came with guns, we could not resist. We went to the High Court where we paid D5, 000 to get the services of a lawyer after which we were allowed to return to our compounds the following day.”

Although Mr Njie was spared this time, it was the same story for his neighbours. Their household materials were removed from their compounds.

“The police came around 10 am and ordered us to vacate because the old man [Foday] said he owns the place. We begged to remove the materials ourselves because of the losses we incurred in 2005, but the police refused,” said Ramatoulie Camara.

“Now that we have been evicted, we do not know where to go. It is easier for one or two people to rent, but not a family of 40 people.”

Meanwhile attempts made by journalists to speak to Foday proved futile as the aggrieved residents attempted to fall on him, thanks to the police who came to his rescue and whisked him away.

But how can a private man bag the backing of a truck-full of police personnel over the claim of a land was the question the press posed to residents, but none could give an answer.

The police officers and officers from physical planning present at the scene declined to talk to the press. And the Alkalo too could not be reached.

When contacted, the police spokesperson Sulayman Secka promises to get back to us, but failed until the time of going to press.