By Aminata Kuyateh & Olimatou Coker
The Gambia Police Force over the weekend issued a statement to clarify claims by Banjul North lawmaker Modou Lamin Bah, accusing the NAM of misleading the public when he said violent deaths in the country have become routine and largely unresolved.
Hon Bah had argued that the problem was not only the crimes themselves but what he described as a pattern of silence and lack of closure afterwards.
“There is a recurring pattern in the country where violent deaths have become normalised. People are killed, and life continues, not because it should, but because there is often no follow-up, no sense of urgency, no closure, and no visible justice,” Bah is quoted by the Fatu Network to have said.
He also cited a series of reported killings between 2018 and 2025, involving stabbings, domestic violence, gang assaults and robberies across urban and rural communities. They include case of victims such as Musa Colley, Kebba Secka, Kantara Touray, Marie Mendy, Lamin Wally, Fatoumatta Kargbo, Isatou Fatty and Saikou Freeman.
Bah noted that several of the cases have not had outcomes widely known to the public, reinforcing public frustration and mistrust.
In reaction on Saturday, the Police Force said the claim that violent deaths are “normalised” and fade without accountability does not reflect reality. The police acknowledged that isolated violent incidents have occurred but insisted they are neither routine nor ignored.
According to the statement, investigations were conducted in almost all of the cases cited, followed by appropriate judicial action.
The police said that in the case of Saikou Freeman, the primary suspect was arrested, charged and remanded at Mile II Prison pending legal advice. Investigations into the killing of Isatou Fatty, the police added, remain active, with the Brusubi CID pursuing leads.
The police further stated that the case involving Fatoumatta Kargbo has progressed through the courts, with the accused arrested, charged and remanded by the High Court, where the trial is nearing conclusion.
In the death of Kebba Secka, investigators said the case was concluded within a week, the suspect apprehended and arraigned before the court.
“These examples, among others, demonstrate that violent crime is neither ignored nor allowed to fade without consequence,” the statement said, adding that national crime statistics do not support claims of a normalised pattern of violent deaths or systemic failure”, the police said.
While expressing regret for every loss of life, the police cautioned that public statements suggesting routine inaction risk undermining confidence in ongoing investigations and judicial processes.
However Hon Bah has not relented. He told our reporter that the police statement is another example of misinformation. “I call on the Gambia Police Force to release a comprehensive update on all the 19 deaths I referenced during my interview with The Fatu Network, for the public can determine where the truth lies. The facts must be made clear, and transparency must be upheld,” Bah said. Many commentators urged the police to ignore politicians and concentrate on their job but many others agreed with Hon Bah.
