By Kaddy Jawo
Dozens of young people gathered at the Serre Kunda Police Station to protest against the death of Ousman Darboe, a Sierra Leonean national, who they claimed was severely beaten by the police anti-crime unit.
Darboe, a shop owner at the Black Market was reportedly arrested by police anti-crime unit about thirteen days ago but released on Friday.
On Tuesday, he was reportedly called back to the anti-crime unit in Bijilo and while there, his friends received a call from him that he was not feeling well.
Darboe’s friend who identified himself as Muhammed said that Darboe is an asthmatic. By the time Muhammed and his friends reached Darboe to help him seek medical support, he was already suffering from an asthma attack. They assisted and took him to Medicare Clinic in Brububi.
He passed away on Tuesday according to Muhammed. His friends from the Black Market gathered at the police station near the Serre Kunda market demanding justice for Darboe.
They claimed he was tortured as he was in police custody for nine days without charge. The police, according to Muhammed, accused Darboe who owns a store at the Black Market of buying a stolen good from someone.
According to Muhammed, Darboe lived in The Gambia for twenty years. He’s survived by his Gambian wife and two young children. The corpse is currently at the Serre Kunda Hospital mortuary.