Sub-Inspector Bah testifies on the arrest of idle youths

By Nicholas Bass

Sub-Inspector Makane Bah yesterday, 22nd August 2023 before Principal Magistrate Omar Jabang of the KanifingMagistrate’s Court testified on how twenty-three idling youth were arrested after several surveillances and later charged to court.

Officer Makane Bah who is the PW1 explained that the twenty-three accused namely Alpha Dampha, JankoSanyang, Babucarr Secka, Arfang Badjie, EbrimaCamara, Wa Saidybah, Alieu Khan, Malick Nyang, Muhammed Jobe, Pierra Jatta, Papa Khan, EbrimaJallow, Musa Sallah, Ebrima Camara, Lamin Manka, Macho Ceesay, Babucarr Jallow, Yerro Saidy, AbdoulieDibba, Musa Saidykhan, Alpha Omar Jallow, Sheikh Tijan Faye, and Muhammed Touray were arrested following several reports of them from the people of Kanifing Municipality and its diverse places.

He said the Police Intervention Unit Officers and plain cloth Officers were deployed at the Serrekunda Black Market, Brikama Garage at Serrekunda, Coastal Road Garage, and Brusubi Garage with constant communications among the officers at 17:00 hours onwards and the accused were arrested by plain cloth Officers and took them to Kanifing Police Intervention Unit where they (accused) were charged.

However, he said he recognized the twenty-three accused noting that the raided areas within the jurisdiction of Kanifing and its diverse places were dominated by some nuisance youth.

Meanwhile, a summary of the criminal charge pressed against twenty-three of them revealed that in August 2023 at Serrekunda and its diverse places in KanifingMunicipality of the Republic of the Gambia, they (accused) exercise a common right, obstructed or caused annoyance and inconvenience to the public.