GPF press statement – 9th February, 2025: The Gambia Police Force has made significant progress in its investigation into a recent armed robbery in Banjul, leading to the arrests of the suspects and ongoing efforts to bring all perpetrators to justice.
A case of armed robbery was reported at the Banjul Police Station involving an attack on El Hella Shop, located on Hagan Street, Banjul, at approximately 9:08am. The complainant, Muhammed Seedy Hydra of Brikama, stated that he had travelled to Banjul with D1,245,000 and CFA1,650,000 to purchase goods. Upon arrival, he noticed a BMW, ash in colour, with no number plate, parked opposite the shop. Moments after entering, two armed individuals stormed the shop, held him at gunpoint, and forcefully took the cash before fleeing the scene. Following the robbery, the suspects abandoned the vehicle in Banjul and used a commercial vehicle to escape to Sting Corner, where they divided the stolen money. Through intensive investigations, police arrested the suspects. Ousainou Jobarteh, an Ivorian national residing in Busumbala, was apprehended in the early morning of Sunday, 9th February, 2025. Officers recovered D70,250 and CFA465,000 from him.
During interrogation, he admitted to conspiring with Abdoulie Jallow, a 24-year-old resident of Barra, and used his BMW with registration number BJL 4871B to execute the operation. He further disclosed that Amadou Wurry Jallow, a mechanic, was instructed to drive the vehicle out of Banjul for maintenance and repainting to conceal evidence. The vehicle was later identified and intercepted at Bund Road at about 9pm.
Later that day, police arrested Abdoulie Jallow along with his girlfriend, Bella James, at Serekunda Villa around 4:30pm. During the search, officers recovered D198,000 from Jallow. Additionally, his Wave account contained D24,000, but no CFA currency was recovered from him. After the operation, the stolen money was divided among the suspects. Ousainou Jobarteh admitted to entrusting D70,250 and CFA465,000 to his wife, Tida Nyang, while giving her an additional D3,000 for personal use. He further revealed that he handed over D304,000 to Odile Secka, a female resident of Banjul, bringing the total money entrusted to third parties to D377,250 and CFA465,000.
In a separate case, authorities in Guinea-Bissau have arrested Ansu Jarju, a Gambian in connection with the Access Bank robbery in Brusubi. The suspect has been handed over to The Gambia Police Force through security bilateral, to ensure his prosecution. Police have recovered firearms and other incriminating evidence, further strengthening the case against the arrested individuals. Investigators are working to determine whether the suspects are linked to other armed robberies in the country.
The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The Gambia Police Force commends its officers for their swift and decisive action and reassures the public of its commitment to maintaining law and order. Please note that this is an ongoing investigation, further updates on progress of the investigation will be provided as and when available.
