What would have been a serene welcome for this year’s hajj returnees at the Banjul International Airport was quickly transformed into a rowdy and awry spectacle Tuesday night when the wife of the Secretary of State for the Interior and Religious Affairs Ousman Badjie threw a vicious punch at Honourable Ramzia Diab in a fit of mad fury.

The state official’s wife who was apparently exasperated after finding her husband in compromising circumstances with Ramzia Diab a nominated member of the National Assembly went on the attack, clawing, jabbing and thrusting her hands on the face and neck of Diab, who for the split of a moment was left disarmed by the daring nature of the attack.

Both Honourable Diab and SoS Badjie confirmed the incident to The Independent, but declined to give further details, saying it does not warrant a newspaper headline.

In an effort to fob off the press both of them also claimed that the matter was being settled “the family way and it would be better to keep it low-profile”. They pleaded that the press should not take up the issue, to avoid its damaging repercussions on their status as state functionaries. Ramzia sounding calm despite her overnight experience said all of them were better off without the press making much “fuss about it”.

Meanwhile according to eyewitnesses (one of whom was our own reporter) there was a struggle between the two women as Ramzia tried desperately to free herself from the death grip of the minister’s wife, who in her angry ranting, said she wanted to teach her a lesson for some unwarranted business with her husband (the real words we would not reveal). According to the witnesses, the two were separated only after Honourable Diab, who is an employee of The Gambia International Airlines, sustained some injuries to the head.

An ambulance was later called to speed her to the hospital, from where she emerged with a stitched brow. The high-profile incident drew a large crowd to the airport where Ousman Badjie and many other Gambians had gone to welcome home this year’s first badge of returnees from the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Many among the hajj returnees stared and gaped speechless as the whole episode unfolded in their eyes. Some were undoubtedly flustered to learn that it was the state official’s wife who was involved with a high-profile personality.