BANJUL – Tragedy has struck the Gambian capital after a Guinean mother of four, Tahirou Barry, was allegedly killed by her former partner, Lamarana Barry—widely known as “General Barry”—a prominent cultural promoter in the region.
The incident occurred on Thursday, June 19, 2025, and has since sparked widespread outrage, with the suspect reportedly fleeing the scene and now being actively sought by authorities.
The chilling details of the case came to light when Kadiatou Barry, sister of the deceased, spoke emotionally about the moments surrounding her sister’s death.
“My sister’s death came as a big surprise.
I was called to be told she’d been in an accident. But when I arrived, they explained that it was her ex-lover who had killed her.
He had allegedly run his motorcycle over her until she died,” she recounted.
“This man, Lamarana Barry, alias General Barry, is a well-known cultural promoter here. He had beaten her violently in the past.
I accompanied her to the hospital. After that, I advised her to stay away from him. She promised she wouldn’t see him again.”
Kadiatou added that even Tahirou’s husband had mentioned recent calls from Barry that went unanswered.
“And now he came to kill her,” she said, visibly shaken.
Another sister, Djenabou Barry, offered her own harrowing account. “This Thursday morning, I was called to say that my sister had been in an accident.
But it turned out that it was Lamarana Barry, alias General Barry, who drove his motorcycle over her, causing her death. They had been a couple before, but she had drifted apart from him for a very long time.”
She explained that Tahirou had avoided all contact with Barry, even refusing to attend his events.
“And since she always refused, he came here to kill her.”
Following the incident, the suspect reportedly phoned a family member and warned them to vacate the house. When police later arrived at Barry’s residence, it was completely abandoned and locked.
A formal complaint has been filed, and the family is calling on the public to assist law enforcement in locating the suspect.
“We call on anyone who may have seen Lamarana Barry, alias General Barry, to alert the police so that he is arrested and held accountable for his actions,” Djenabou pleaded.
The case has sent shockwaves through both the Guinean and Gambian communities, reigniting urgent conversations about gender-based violence and the protection of women across the region.
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