By Tabora Bojang
A Gambian soldier whose video went viral on Tik-Tok commenting on current economic difficulties in the country, has alleged that he was detained for two weeks at the Fajara Barracks before being dismissed from the army with zero benefits.
Corporal Ebrima Jammeh was speaking on VM Media for the first time since his dismissal.
He narrated how his superiors called him to express disappointment with his video before they asked him to report to the Fajara Barracks, where upon arrival, he was picked up by two military police officers who informed him they had received orders from the ‘top’ to get him detained.
Jammeh said since his arrival at the Barracks on 17 February, he remained under military custody until 1st March when he was released and asked to report to the military police on a Monday.
He said while under detention, his mother fell ill, and he was not able to visit her to tell her about his detention because he was worried it may deteriorate her condition since she is a hypertension patient.
Jammeh added that while in detention, he was repeatedly informed by the Military Police and other soldiers that his comments were truthful, but his only problem was that he made the video while in military uniform.
“They told me only the army spokesperson has the right to speak to the media. But my conviction was that those are issues that concerned the army too and it does not occur to me that soldiers cannot speak on national issues outside the military domain. I did not know that making this video in military gear was going to land me in trouble,” Jammeh said.
According to him, following his two-week detention, he was informed by one Sergeant Barrow that he got a letter from military authorities that he [Jammeh] was relieved and needed to report back on normal working hours by Monday, 3rd March. He said he had been reporting to the military police for some days before he finally received his dismissal letter from GAF.
Jammeh, who is married with five children, all going to school, explains, “My dismissal disturbs my life and that of my family. It was a big disappointment. What we know in the army is that perceived offenders are punished but that did not happen in my case. I thought after my detention there would be no further punishment apart from maybe a demotion but to be served with a dismissal after 18 years of service with no benefits whatsoever. Is very shocking and disheartening.”
The dismissed soldier said he was in desperate condition and in need of help because he was the provider for his family.
