Gambia being the smallest country in West Africa, and with a population of less than 3 million, has been facing unnecessary killings of people. This has become a concern to her citizens and her residents.

Fatima Camara, a student of MAJAC said, Gambia’s security system is very fragile and calls for immediate action. Miss Camara said, it’s quite very difficult for a week to pass on nowadays without someone being murdered or attacked and left seriously wounded. This is becoming highly predominant and everyone fears for their lives for no one knows who is next, Fatima stated.

She reveals that, at least two people have been attacked and killed in just this week and a couple who survived with serious injuries from multiple stabs meted out on them by some armed young men who attacked them in their compound in serekunda.

Bubacarr Ceesay, a teacher, said that the  Gambia police force has become pretty much investigative rather than preventive.

He said, the goal is not just to arrest culprits and perpetrators after already committing crimes, as there has been many cases. But these crimes he said, should in fact be prevented from happening and prime suspects apprehended forthwith.

Mr. Ceesay stated that, drug addiction is immensely a contributing factor to the current security crisis in the Gambia.

Mr. Ceesay stressed that, government should employ some strict security policies and measures to ensure internal security by supporting the police with proper facilities to enable them to conduct patrols especially at night to reduce the escalating crime rate in the smiling coast. 

“Precisely, every police station should have some vehicles and security gadgets to enable them patrol frequently at night and to impose restrictions on random movements at certain times of the night except with proper national documents, without the provision of which, the person in question, should be detained till dawn and then released.” Said Mr. Ceesay.

However, it has been suggested by many that community policing would as well help a great deal in tackling this issue of insecurity. 

They said neighbours should be each other’s keeper in order to complement the work of the police in fighting crimes in the country. 

Aminata Camara a vendor at Banjulinding lamented that, it’s very much scary and dangerous, as one could get attacked at any moment by thieves and could even get killed as they have seen it happened in Westfield some couple of months ago, when a senegalese citizen was murdered in cold blood on Eid day.

Aminata said, everyone must be very vigilant and if they see any unusual movement or acts from any stranger in their vicinities at certain times of the night, they must report such cases to the nearest police station as soon as possible. 

An Anonymous source said, Gambia is gradually turning into a safe haven for burglars and murderers, as the lives and properties of its citizens are highly at stake.

The source said, people get attacked and killed on the streets, but now even in their own compounds.

“Lack of parental care and discipline of their children in homes is a contributing factor to the high crime rates in the country, because most of the perpetrators are teenagers”. The source said.

Gambia is recording numerous cases of murder and serious  attacks causing fear and alarm. The smiling coast is becoming more like a war zone, creating an ocean of tears. Now the question by many is that. Is Gambia still a smiling coast?

 

By Fatimah Sonko