The people of Mandinary remain on edge as the family of Omar Badjie (OB), 27, waits anxiously for the full coroner’s report into his contentious death following a police chase.
A post-mortem was performed on Wednesday, 30 September, at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH).
Leading the procedure was Dr Momodou Leigh, observed by Dr Babanding Daffeh on behalf of the family. Present in the autopsy theatre were family lawyer Ayub Johnny Njie, accompanying police officers, and two relatives who formally identified the body before the examination began.
The circumstances of Badjie’s death remain deeply contested. According to eyewitnesses and the deceased’s relatives, he was subject to a beating by security officers after being apprehended in possession of a cannabis joint. Police, however, maintain a different version: Badjie allegedly collapsed after a fall during what they describe as a “hot pursuit.”
During the autopsy, tissue samples were collected for toxicological and microscopic analysis. Investigators have told the family to expect a full written report in due course. Those findings — especially regarding internal injuries, poisoning, or asphyxia — are expected to play a decisive role in potential legal action and in public reconciliation.
The body has been released to the family, but it will remain at EFSTH until Wednesday, 1 October, when the family will collect it for funeral rites and burial in Mandinary at 10:00am.
Community tensions flared in the immediate aftermath of Badjie’s death, with protest and uncertainty growing across Mandinary and surrounding villages.
In recent days, however, a semblance of calm has returned. But the populace now watches closely — convinced that the forthcoming coroner’s verdict will determine not only the truth about Badjie’s death, but also accountability across the forces.
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