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Gambia news: Boy Allegedly Stabbed By Police

Amadou Sanyang, a resident of Latrikunda, Piccadilly, has accused members of The Gambia Police Force of stabbing him with a knife, thereby inflicting wounds on his head. The 18 year old boy said he was stabbed by the Police, while being arrested, alleging that he knows two of the assailants.

According to Amadou, the incident happened on March 1, at Piccadilly, between the hours of 23.00 hrs to Midnight. He said they were sitting on the street when seven police men, dressed in PIU uniform, descended on the area. He said four of the officers, who were armed with guns, surrounded them and demanded to search their persons. Amadou explained that they were searched and nothing illegal was found in their possession. He said that the officer insisted that they were smoking cannabis, but which he could produce any evidence. He alleged that they were forcefully arrested and taken away.

Amadou said that while they were under police escort, a scuffle started between him and the officers when they attempted to shave his hair with a knife. He said that he resisted and that during the struggle he was stabbed on the head. He said that the wound was about half an inch deep; that as blood was oozing from his wounds, all the officers took to their heels leaving him with his colleagues. Amadou said that one of his brothers happened to recognise two of the officers as Abubacarr Sidi Mass and Lamin Ceesay. He said he later lodged a complaint to the Wellingara Police Station and that he was admitted at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH), for days, before being discharged. He revealed that a complaint was also lodged to the police human rights officer, who promised to launch an investigation into the matter.

OC Baldeh, the police officer in charge of human rights matters, confirmed the allegation and said that the matter has been handled. OC Baldeh said an investigation into the allegation has been completed and that he had made his recommendations. He noted that the file will soon be forwarded to the concerned authorities for action to be taken into the matter.