The Late Shakina Chinedu
By Landing Ceesay
Chief Inspector Landing Nasso, the lead investigator in the murder case of British citizen Shakina Chinedu, testified under cross-examination that the accused, Augustine Bangura, directed investigators to locations where Chinedu’s stolen items were recovered.
During his testimony, Chief Inspector Nasso stated that Bangura confessed to both the murder of Chinedu and the theft of her belongings. The prosecution introduced the recovered items as evidence through Inspector Nasso’s testimony.
Bangura faces charges of murder and theft under Sections 187 and 252 of The Gambia’s Criminal Code, Revised Laws of 2009.
The prosecution alleges that on February 14, 2024, in Sinchang Village, West Coast Region, Bangura fatally struck Chinedu on the back of her neck with a hammer. On the same day, he allegedly stole items including D80,000.00, two laptops, a tablet, flash drives, keys, a Canon camera, and various correspondence cards from her bag and apartment.
Chief Inspector Nasso also revealed that Bangura did not identify Chinedu’s body, as no suspect had been apprehended at the time of its discovery.
“Tell the court who identified the deceased,” Defence Counsel Ade asked.”It was the deceased’s friends in the Gambia who lodged a complaint and discovered the body of the deceased and later informed the police,” Chief Inspector Nasso told the court.
“Were you the investigator in the case?” Counsel Ade asked.
“My lord, as I mentioned earlier I was leading the investigation and led my juniors,” Chief Inspector Nasso told the court.Chief Inspector Nasso however, testified that when the deceased body was recovered, he was not present.
“It is correct that the deceased (Shakina Chinedu) was found covered with sand?” Counsel Ade asked.
“I cannot say much about that because I was not present at the scene,” Chief Inspector Nasso testified.
“The items which you recovered as items stolen from the deceased. Those items were missing from the deceased house in the Brusubi Phase 2?” Counsel Ade asked.
“My lord, some of the items were stolen from Brusubi phase 2, which was the residence of the deceased, through the lead of the accused person (Augustine Bangura),” Nasso responded.
“Who identified the items?,” Counsel Ade asked.
“My lord, it was the accused person himself who led the investigators including myself to recover and identify the items,” Nasso told the court.
“It is correct that the accused stated that he stole the items from the deceased (Shakina Chinedu) house,” Counsel Ade asked.”Yes, my lord, it was the accused person who confessed to stealing of the deceased properties or items, leading the investigators to the discovery of these items,” Nasso stated.