Nuha Jammeh, a member of the MFDC rebel group currently standing trial with eight of his colleagues on charges of terrorism and related activities in The Gambia, on Thursday, informed the Banjul Magistrates Court, presided over by Principal Magistrate BY Camara that they used The Gambia as a centre to purchase foodstuff for their upkeep in the thick forest of Casamance, Senegal.

Nuha Jammeh, who claimed to have been fighting for the MFDC since 1988, made this revelation while giving his testimony in the ongoing voire dire (trial-within-a-trial) to determine the voluntariness of the statements obtained from him and Abdou Salam Jammeh, third and eighth accused persons respectively.

According to him, they used to buy goods from border villages in The Gambia. However, he disclosed that they changed their combat clothes to mufti when entering Gambian territory.

Jammeh recalled that he first appeared before the panel of investigators at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul on May 20. He said he was  asked about the reason for his stay in The Gambia and the money given to them by the Senegalese government, as well as the “secret information” about The Gambia.

He said that he was not able to answer the questions as expected by the panel of investigators because he was afraid and felt threatened.

During cross-examination by Emmanuel Fagbenle, director of public prosecution (DPP), Nuha insisted that he was forced to make his statement. He further insisted  that he was telling the truth.