It seems some security officers especially the police officers of the Gambia Police Force has still not learnt of the serious offences such as human rights violations committed by their fellow security officers during the former regime of Yahya Jammeh.
Having read the judgment delivered on Thursday, 20th July 2023, on torture / inhumane and degrading treatment of a Gambian identified as ASSAN JAGNE, broke my heart.
The victim Assan Jagne (Applicant) was reported to have filed an originating summons through his Lawyer Malick H. B. Jallow against the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General seeking redress for excruciating injuries he sustained as a result of beatings meted out to him by police officers from Farato Police Station and for his subsequent arrest and detention by the said officers.
This case reminds me of the unfortunate arrest, torture, inhumane treatment and detention meted out on Lamin Sima, Lamin Karbou, DLEAG officers (former & present) and other civilians of different nationalities sometime in 2009 at the NIA headquarters in Banjul.
Former NIA officers; Alhagie Morr Jobe also known as Edrisa Jobe, Ebrima Jim Drammeh, Lamin Darboe, Omar Jammeh and others were implicated in the torture and inhumane treatment of Lamin Sima, Lamin Karbou, Tijan Ndure, and Guinean nationals Fernando Correa , Ansumana Fatty, etc were tortured in 2009.
Such inhumane treatment happened under the watch of Lamin BO Badjie who was the Director General of the NIA and similar rights violations also happened at the NIA even before 2009 and thereafter until 2016 when the former president Yahya Jammeh was ousted through the ballot box and sent into exile in Guinea Equatorial.
This case was mentioned at the TRRC and some of the officers confessed to their crimes. The TRRC issued recommendations banning them from holding public office for a particular period.
However, the recent case of Assan Jagne who was tortured by police officers and seriously injured shows that some of the officers have still not learned from the mistakes of others and continue to abuse the system, by violating the rights of citizens. Such practice must stop and offenders must be punished accordingly.
I will publish images of the injuries meted out on Assan Jagne by police officers of The Gambia Police Force in my next edition. The IGP must address such incidents of police brutality and put a stop to it or else, they will all be accountable for their deeds in the near future.
Enough is enough!
