By Alieu Jallow
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has confirmed that two children were rescued from a suspected abduction attempt following the prompt response of immigration and intelligence officers in the border village of Dimbaya.
In an exclusive interview, the Public Relations Officer of the Gambia Immigration Department, Inspector Simam Lowe, told The Fatu Network that Assistant Immigration Control Officer (AICO) Demba Bah, who was on duty at the time, responded to an uproar from villagers. The villagers believed there was a possible match of the twins in the company of three individuals: Mohamadou Jallow, Amadou Kanteh, and Isatou Jallow.
Sensing something amiss, AICO Bah, accompanied by an officer from the State Intelligence Service (SIS), quickly moved to the scene and apprehended the suspects.
PRO Lowe noted that, acting on intelligence and demonstrating professionalism, the officer in charge swiftly secured the twins from the villagers to prevent a potential confrontation between the villagers and the suspects.
“AICO Bah, along with an officer from the State Intelligence Service (SIS), rushed to the scene and apprehended the suspects. To prevent a potential altercation, they separated the suspects from the children and engaged with the community to maintain decorum.
“The officers took them into custody and secured them in a holding cell. They then contacted the children’s relatives using the phone number provided on a flyer. Shortly after, a relative arrived at the Dimbaya Immigration Post, accompanied by a police officer, GID handed over the case to the Madina Salanding Police Station.
“The suspects and the children were immediately handed over to them for further processing and necessary investigation,” he stated.
The immigration’s PRO revealed that further investigations disclosed that the suspects had attempted to secure motorcycles to transport them across the border into Senegal given the nature of the Gambia’s porous borders.
“The immigration officer intercepted the suspects as they attempted to secure motorcycles for transportation into Senegal through the support of the community, a critical effort in GID’s intelligence sharing and community engagement initiatives,” he said.
On Monday, reports emerged that seven-year-old twins were forcibly taken from their cousin while on their way to school in Brikama Jiddah. The alleged abductor was identified as their biological father, who had been estranged from their lives for years following a divorce. Their mother has since remarried and built a new life with another man.
The incident, according to media reports on Monday, occurred while their cousin was taking them to school and was abruptly stopped by a taxi with five passengers, including the driver. A man wearing a face mask quickly exited the vehicle, shoved the cousin after a brief struggle, and forcefully dragged the children into the car. The vehicle then sped off.
When asked about immigration’s commitment to combating transnational crimes, PRO Lowe reassured the public of their commitment to combating such crimes, stating: “The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) is highly vigilant regarding transnational crimes such as smuggling and human trafficking. This awareness is a fundamental part of GID’s operations at border points, ensuring meticulous security checks. Through the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS), all individuals crossing the border are enrolled and subjected to thorough security screenings,” he said.
Following the successful handing over of the suspects to the police, they have reported to be investigating the matter.
