The family of a 19-year-old soldier who died mysteriously at his barracks says they are heartbroken and are having a hard time finding closure.
At 9 p.m. on February 25, Ebrima Nyabally, who joined the military at age 17 like his father did, was discovered dead in his room at the installation in Tidworth.
Malang Nyabally claimed that although his oldest son had been placed on a unit risk registry the day before, he had ‘never been unhappy’ while serving.
According to Mr. Nyabally, who described Ebrima as a shy, giving, and nice young guy who had his entire life ahead of him, the family has been kept in the dark about the incident and is not permitted to view the young man’s body.
He added: ‘I am so angry about everything. I wanted to see his body. I wanted to see the place where he did it. We want answers.
‘What hurts us most is that we cannot see his face. We do not know what we are going to find.
‘I was so proud of him. He was the one who would have carried on my legacy.
‘I am absolutely heartbroken. He did not die in the war, he died in the barracks.’
An inquest is underway for Ebrima, who moved with his family from Gambia to the UK when he was 6 years old.
Mr Nyabally was told of his son’s death while working a night shift, adding: ‘I struggled to drive home that night. It is difficult to put into words how I felt.’
The veteran said delivering the news to Ebrima’s three siblings was ‘the worst thing that I had to do’.
He continued: ‘On the last day they spent together, Ebrima bought him a takeaway. They loved him very much.
‘He was very generous. He used to send us £100 every month. He was very caring. He had a very strong faith as well.
‘He has never been unhappy in the army. Ebrima loved life.’