By: Fatou Krubally
The Ghana Town Community Development Association has condemned what it describes as the physical assault of a 17-year-old schoolgirl by an immigration officer, calling the act a violation of basic human rights and dignity.
The condemnation was contained in a statement issued by Emmanuel Dadson, a teacher and the association’s secretary, who described the incident as deeply disturbing.
According to Dadson, the student, Alice Nyame, who is in Grade 11 at Gambia High Senior School, was stopped by immigration officers on Tuesday and asked to produce identification. He said the girl explained that she was a student and offered to retrieve her school uniform as proof, but was unexpectedly slapped across the face by one of the officers. The act, he stated, occurred in full view of community members and sparked a heated exchange between the officers and the girl’s relatives, before the officers left the scene.
In his statement, Dadson said the incident was “not just a slap it was a slap to justice.” He says it reflects the broader challenges faced by Ghana Town residents, many of whom are born and raised in The Gambia but are still treated as outsiders due to their Ghanaian descent. He claimed this unresolved issue of recognition creates fertile ground for abuse and discrimination by authorities.
Dadson said the community is calling on the Gambia Immigration Department to identify and suspend the officer involved, pending a full investigation. He also urged the Ministry of Interior and the National Human Rights Commission to intervene in the matter. According to him, there should also be a formal community dialogue with immigration officials and mandatory training for officers on respectful engagement, especially when dealing with minors.
He further rejected suggestions that the absence of video footage weakens the case. “Not every community member walks around with a camera,” he said in the statement. “Justice should not depend on a recording.”
Dadson concluded that failure to act could erode public trust and damage diplomatic ties, stating, “Respect is not optional. It is what every Gambian child deserves.”
When contacted for comment immigration PRO Siman Lowe responded that no official complaint from the association has been made and his attention was drawn to it online however he promised that the immigration would investigate the issue
