By Olimatou Coker
Police yesterday issued a statement detailing issues surrounding the escape of a suspect in the death of one Ebrima Ceesay, a taxi driver from Wellingara, whose alleged killer escaped from police custody while reportedly in handcuffs.
The police statement came months after a vigorous campaign by the victim’s father who wanted answers on the circumstances of the escape of Ebou Secka, a suspect in his son’s murder.
According to spokesperson Modou Musa Sisawo in a statement yesterday, the victim Ebrima Ceesay was reported missing by his family on 18 July, 2024 following which a body was discovered in a pond in Kampant village on 20 July.
The police disclosed that the corpse was hurriedly buried by villagers who were unaware of the ongoing missing person case.
The police further explained that when they picked up information on the discovery and subsequent burial of the body, they swiftly acted to exhume it on July 21, and evacuated it to the EFSTH mortuary for proper identification.
The police further claimed that they had duly informed the Ceesay family of the body they found and encouraged them to visit the mortuary for identification but they said the family refused the request, claiming the corpse that they saw on social media was not their missing relative, Ebrima Ceesay.
According to the police, it was only five months later, amid consistent persuasion, that the family finally visited the mortuary and confirmed that the body was indeed that of their missing son, Ebrima Ceesay.
“During the investigation, one Ebou Secka emerged as a person of interest connected to the mysterious disappearance of Ebrima Ceesay. During all this period, the police were searching for Ebou Secka, who was in hiding. Fortunately, the dedicated police investigators were able to locate and arrest him on October 6, 2024. Faced with the challenges encountered by investigators, the suspect Ebou Secka was remanded over an earlier robbery case lingering over him to avoid illegal detention pending determination of the current case. Unfortunately, on December 19, 2024, Ebou Secka escaped from police custody and since then, the police have been actively pursuing the course of his arrest, applying all the modes at our disposal,” the police statement said.
The police added that an internal investigation is mounted to establish the circumstances leading to the escape.
They further expressed their commitment to ensuring that justice is served and that the principles of justice and a fair trial are upheld.
