“It was in 2006, I was in Grade 9 preparing for my final exams, when my father disappeared. We never heard from him again. He was killed,” these are the words of Haruna Jammeh’s daughter, Isatou.

Her father was one of the many relatives of the former president that disappeared and later reported dead. His crime: “for disagreeing with Jammeh.”

Isatou’s family tried to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death, but they were advised to “leave everything in the hands of Allah.”

It wasn’t until in December, after the presidential election that brought Jammeh’s 22-year rule to an end, when the family started gathering the courage to openly talk about Haruna’s assassination by his own cousin, Yahya Jammeh.

He was the manager of the former president’s farm in Kanilai. According to media reports, Haruna was abducted in 2006 while at work.

“Jammeh is my dad’s cousin. They were close and he did a lot for him before he even dreamt of becoming president,” said Isatou who works for an IT company along Kairaba Avenue to support her mother.

“My mum is a hardworking and caring woman. She kept us going when it was extremely difficult. She made us believe that with Allah everything is possible.”

Isatou described her father as a man who devoted his life to family and helping others.

“My dad is a hero because he was the only one in the family that dared to face Jammeh and tell him the truth. And that’s the only crime he committed. He was killed. My aunt, who was helping us trace his whereabouts, was also killed.

“I want to tell Jammeh, wherever he is, he has killed his own blood and he will not escape on the day of judgement. Allah is watching.

“For President Adama Barrow, I want to congratulate him on his victory and thank him for rescuing The Gambia from the clutches of dictatorship. He should do his best to see to it that Jammeh is arrested and brought back to The Gambia to face justice. He traumatised a lot of families.”