By: Dawda Baldeh
Police officials briefed journalists earlier today about the arrest of three suspects, two in connection with a robbery on February 15th in Fajara, and one in connection with the murder of British woman Shakina Chinadu in Madina Alhagie, a new settlement between Kunkujang Mariama and Mamouda.
The Regional Crime Officer for the Kanifing Municipality, Commissioner Pateh Bah, stated that most crimes in the country involved foreign nationals, suggesting that many crimes or their ideas are imported.
“Gambians are also in other countries, so it wouldn’t be right for us to differentiate, but most of the incidents involve foreign nationals, not Gambians. Probably, most of these crimes or their ideas are imported,” Commissioner Bah told journalists.
The suspect in the murder of Shakina Chinadu is Augustun Bangura, a Sierra Leonean national, while the suspects in the Fajara robbery incident are Seedy Gaye (Gambian) and Greal David Belle, a Sierra Leonean national.
Ms. Shakina was reported missing on February 14th, and her lifeless body was later discovered in a house she was building in Madina Alhagie, where she was murdered.
Speaking to journalists at Kairaba Police Station, Boto Keita, the Regional Crime Officer for West Coast, stated that Madam Chinadu was murdered by a Sierra Leonean national residing in Bakoteh.
“The suspect Augustun Bangura confessed to killing Madam Chinadu in Madina Alhagie and led the police to recover the properties he stole after murdering her,” he said.
Commissioner Keita added, “During the investigations, Bangura was found with a pistol. He was taken back to the crime scene where he helped us recover the hammer and spade that he used to kill Chinadu. Bangura hit Madam Chinadu on the back of her neck, and when she collapsed, he dragged her to a shockway under construction and buried the deceased using a spade.”
According to Commissioner Keita, the suspect took the handbag of the deceased, two mobile phones, a laptop, and some other gadgets before going to the deceased’s residence, where he further stole an undisclosed amount of money and two other laptops.
Regarding the Fajara Robbery Incident, Pateh Bah, the Regional Crime Officer for Kanifing Municipality, provided detailed information. This incident left many residents in fear as they heard early morning gunshots before the suspects fled the scene in a BMW car. The victim of this robbery incident is Ali Seedy, a Bissau Guinean national and a businessman who was held at gunpoint at a residence in Fajara.
“After failing, the suspect rushed to a BMW that was waiting for him with his counterpart. They fled the scene before we arrived. Luckily, the plate number of the BMW that they used was identified by some eyewitnesses,” he said.
Bah revealed that they found that the BMW was from a mechanic whose garage is in Kololi, and the owner admitted that the car belonged to him, which he borrowed from one of his friends (Seedy Gaye), who is a suspect.
“Seedy Gaye was arrested, and later his counterpart, a Sierra Leonean National Greal David Belle living in Dalaba Estate, was also arrested. We confronted them, and they confessed that they did the robbery, and we recovered the pistol they used,” he explained.
Bah further told journalists that the pistol used in the robbery belonged to Seedy Gaye, who gave it to David at the time of the robbery, and it was hidden at Seedy’s residence in Kerr Shering after the incident.
Surprisingly, the police commission said the suspects had revealed they had planned the operation five days and surveyed the place three days before identifying possible entries and exits in case they were apprehended.
“We discovered that the suspect stole the number plate fixed on the BMW and after the operation when he was going to hide the car he went back to the same garage and returned the number plate and took another plate fixed on the BMW and hid it at an underground park in Aqua View Apartment,” he added.
Commissioner Bah told journalists that everything involved in the case has been recovered and the victim has recovered from the trauma and body pain.
However, the pistol recovered from the suspects has not been seen by journalists as the police claimed it was sent to the police headquarters for examination and is still under investigation.
The suspects in the robbery incident have been charged with various counts, including conspiracy, being armed in public, and possession of unauthorized firearms, among others, and they are expected to appear in court.
The public has also been urged to help in reporting suspects and to be vigilant to help curb crimes in the country.
Pateh Jallow, the Regional Police Commissioner for the Kanifing Municipality, expressed delight with the police for swiftly responding to calls of crimes within the region to ensure everyone’s safety by apprehending suspects.
Commissioner Jallow said curbing crimes in the country shouldn’t be left to the police alone but is a collective effort.
He added that the police are ever prepared to respond and address crime, and offenders will face the full force of the law.
Both cases are expected to be mentioned in court soon as investigations are at an advanced stage, the police said.
