By: Dawda Baldeh

Land conflicts have emerged in the village of Jarrol in the Foni District, as Nioro Jarrol, a recent settler, lays claim to lands in Arankon Kunda.

Mustapha Jarju, a resident of Jarol village, stated that Nioro Jarrol, who initially farmed on their lands, is now asserting ownership of some lands in Arankon Kunda.

The village of Jarol intervened and requested Nioro Jarrol to relinquish the disputed lands, but they reportedly refused.

Consequently, Jarol village now seeks to reclaim the lands.

The conflict involves Jarrol village as the host of Nioro Jarrol, who is purported to have claimed ownership of some lands in Arankon Kunda.

The matter was brought before the Chief of Foni Jarrol, but the people of Nioro Jarrol allegedly persisted in claiming ownership of the lands.

On February 3rd, the chief, accompanied by the people of Jarrol and the Alkalo of Arankon Kunda, along with personnel from the State Intelligence Service, went to Nioro for land demarcation.

However, one source claimed that the residents of Nioro Jarrol hid in their homes, leaving the chief and the Alkalo waiting at their Bantaba (meeting place).

According to Mustapha Jarju, a resident of Jarol Village, the chief of Foni advised the villagers to return after the residents of Nioro Jarrol failed to appear.

“The following day, on February 4th, the chief summoned a meeting with the people of Jarrol and Nioro Jarrol, with the Station Officer of Kalagi Police Station in attendance.

During the meeting, the people of Nioro insisted that they would not vacate the farmlands, even if it meant facing harm from the people of Jarrol, as they could not settle in the village without being allowed to utilize the farmland,” he explained.

Following this meeting, the chief, together with the governor, convened a meeting at the Governor’s office, where the governor promised to uphold the law in the matter and advised the chief to make a ruling on the issue.

Efforts have been made to reach out to residents of Nioro Jarol, but all have proven fruitless at the time of this publication.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Police Intervention Unit of the Gambia Police Force is taking a significant step towards cracking down on criminals and illegal activities by deploying trained K-9 dogs.

This decision by the police to pursue and investigate crime scenes represents a significant enhancement to security.

These well-trained K-9 dogs demonstrate intelligence and effectiveness in apprehending suspects, surpassing humans in their detection abilities within the established K-9 unit of the Police Intervention Unit.

With their heightened sense of smell, they can identify criminals by detecting clothing or other evidence found at crime scenes.

The eight security dogs were brought in as puppies and underwent rigorous training alongside police officers to ensure proper handling.

Adeline Basangeh, Commissioner of the Police Intervention Unit, highlights the importance of having such breeds of dogs in crime prevention.

“The handover of the K-9 dogs to the Police Intervention Unit to be used in assisting operations is a significant achievement. The idea to establish the K-9 unit in The Gambia Police Force was conceived by the IGP, whose mission is to modernize the police,” Commissioner Basangeh said.

John Sock, a representative of the US agency Police and Sheriff Press, cautioned about the potential aggression of these dogs.

“These dogs are very aggressive, very big, but very disciplined under the control of the officers who have undergone vigorous training and understanding of how to handle them,” he explained.

In addition to apprehending suspects, these intelligent creatures can also detect drugs, explosives, and accelerants, making them valuable assets in investigating arson and other crime scene evidence.

Mustapha Ndong, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Special Assistant to the Inspector General of Police, emphasizes the importance of integrating these dogs into the police force.

“We want to enhance our policing operations to ensure that people are safe and secure in their communities. The demonstration we witnessed today is just a glimpse of the capabilities of a K-9 dog. There are more trainings and tasks that these dogs can perform,” he informed journalists.

During a demonstration conducted by the trainers, the highly trained and aggressive dogs showcased their ability to attack and bite suspects upon instruction.

This initiative by the police is expected to address the rising rate of criminal activities. Offenders will now face a formidable challenge when confronted by the police and their aggressive dogs, capable of carrying out multiple tasks simultaneously.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Lolly Sowe, the daughter of Pa Matarr Sowe, is demanding that the National Road Authority (NRA) compensate her father for the portion of land used in the construction of a road connecting their village to neighboring communities in the Central River Region North.

Her father owned land in Sambara village where he engaged in gardening activities and cultivated various trees, including cashew trees.

During the road construction demarcation in 2021, a significant portion of the land was affected.

“The NRA cut down many cashew trees and promised to compensate my father and others affected, but to date, nothing has been done,” she explained.

“The cashew trees were crucial for my father’s livelihood as he relied on the income to support the family. However, things have become increasingly difficult for him recently.

He is aging and lacks support,” she added.

Lolly criticized the NRA for showing no remorse or interest in compensating her father, stating, “I’ve been informed that the NRA has received funds to compensate my father and others.”

“Every time I contact or visit the NRA office, I’m continuously referred from one department to another.

I visited the accounts office, and they directed me to the records department, who, in turn, referred me back to the accounts office. This cycle repeats every time I inquire about the pending compensation,” she recounted.

Frustrated by the ongoing excuses from NRA officials regarding compensation, Lolly emphasized that her father cannot afford to wait any longer.

“This situation is painful and frustrating because my father has no means to support the family,” she lamented.

She revealed that her father, who is aging and gradually losing strength, has tasked her with following up with the NRA and urged them to expedite the compensation process.

Lolly informed The Fatu Network that they provided their account details for compensation, yet no action has been taken.

However, we were unable to obtain any comment from the National Road Authority at the time of publication.

We will share the NRA’s response once we are able to obtain comments from them.