By Lamin Cham
The mayor of Banjul Rohey Malick Lowe and her city council management yesterday called for calm after an audio was released on Gambian online social media forums warning traders in Albert Market to start removing their valuables and portable goods by yesterday (Sunday).
The audio, attributed to one Bakary Trawally, a Gambian resident in the US, claimed Trawally and his cohorts (unnamed) have already planted agents in Banjul.
The audio was released about 72 hours after the central market in Basse was gutted by flames leading to the loss of millions of dalasis.
The release of the audio has caused jitters in the capital with hundreds taking to the social media to express their angst and worry about the implicit threat to burn the market.
Mayor Lowe told The Standard last night: “We are just from consulting the Banjul command of the Gambia police over this matter and all Gambians and Banjulians can be assured that my office and the council are working round the clock with the security forces to ensure that the Albert Market is safe from whatever threat imagined or real from anyone,”
She further urged the public and state authorities to liaise with her office as the direct custodians of the Albert Market to coordinate information sharing or action regarding the threat. “I think that is the best course of action so that we can avoid raising unnecessary alarm,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, Banjul National Assembly Member Fatoumata Touma Njie also made a statement on Facebook condemning the threat.
