By Lamin Sanyang
An insider at The notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA) now State Intelligence Service has revealed that operatives of The NIA were responsible for the killing of Ebrima Solo Sandeng, the national organizing secretary of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) last April.
The insider revealed that NIA operatives were never involved in torture except in the case of the late Solo Sandeng and his team. He added that, it was Gibril Mbowe, the man responsible for the mechanic department who supplied the torturers with fan belts and other materials to beat the late Solo Sandeng mercilessly.
The current Deputy Director Sheikh Omar Jeng according to the source, told operatives that whoever refused to beat Sandeng is not loyal to Jammeh. Yankuba Badjie he said agreed to Sheikh’s statements ordering his men to take part in the torture.
The intelligence source said when Solo was tortured to death, Sheikh Jeng asked Yankuba Badjie what they should do with the body of the political activist. Badjie in response told Jeng to take care of that. “Just see what you can do,” he quoted Yankuba Badjie as telling Sheikh Omar Jeng. .
The source also disclosed that several operatives and officers retained at the State Intelligence are not happy with the regime change, he added that they are not loyal to the people and the Constitution of the Gambia but remained loyal to the former president Yahya Jammeh. .
Below are the names of the officers the source said are not loyal to the country:
Deputy Director General – Lees Gomes
Director of Operation – Sheikh Omar Jeng
Director of External affairs – Saidy Gassama
Director of Technical – Omar Bojang
Director of Mechanics – Jibel Mbow
Director of Finance – Saikou Sanneh
Director of Special Operation and Security Director of Analysis
Officer Commanding at the laboratory – Abdou Njie who is said to be an errand boy to the sacked Director General Yankuba Badjie
Malang Sonko
Ansumana Trawalley
Mass Jobe at the Technical Section
Director of Administration – Lamin Hydara
Drivers – Sulaymen Badjie (Brother to Yankuba Badjie)
Lamin Gibba
Musa Bojang
Sheikh Jarju
Saif Samba – Mechanic
Tomothy Colley – Training Commander
Tamba mansareh – Operation
Baboucarr Sillah – Operation
Yankuba Colley – Operation
Alasan Jammeh – Operation
Paul Bojang – Security
Alasan Baldeh – Operative attached to State House
Baba Kujabi (a former gesseh player) and NIA operative attached to the reception.
An officer who was brought to the NIA under Yankuba Badjie from the Immigration Department, Lamin Jatta has proven to be a very honest, dedicated and competent man but due to his loyalty to the nation he was redeployed to the Immigration again, the source said. He added that Jatta is a man who defied unlawful orders and does not reserve his opinion to argue his case when it comes to doing the job properly and within the confines of the law.
According to a source Jatta is someone who can work closely with the new Director General Musa Dibba. He said the new SIS may still maintain some officers but it needs proper screening as they are infiltrated with elements who should not be retained in the department.
“There should not be any fear to sack those who do not deserve to be working there. Maintaining staff should not be at the detriment of security especially in a place like the SIS,” he said.
Meanwhile, he concluded that there also officers who have been working up to 8 years without any promotion, this he said is due to the system that former director general, Yankuba Badjie brought to the institution.
