By Mustapha Jallow
Mr. Abdoulie Gaye, aka Abdou Gaye, a businessman and resident of Bakau, had gone missing without any trace
of14 him for 145 days today as he has never been taken to a court of law. The family is still wondering whether their loved one is still alive or not after he was reportedly picked up by a group of men in plain clothes.
Fatou Gaye, one of his sister, told this reporter that their brother was said to be detained at National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul and that since the new government has ordered for the release of all those who were held unlawfully and not arraigned before a court of law, they went to fetch for him but found out that he was not among those being released.
She added that some few weeks ago they have visited the NIA office to enquire about the whereabouts of their loved one who was not released but to their utter surprise they were told by the agents that all persons who were unlawfully detained by them were released and that no one is in their custody now. “Since the agents have confirmed to us that he is no longer held in their headquarters, we proceeded to the serious crime unit (SCU) at police headquarters to report the disappearance of our brother but they told us that Abdou is not booked and our statement was taken by the police who promised that they will do their investigation into his whereabouts,” she disclosed.
However, the sister explained that she and other family members have visited Mile Two prison where one of the authorities had helped them to search inside the prison but still there was no sign of him there either.
“We went to Old Jeshwang prison, Janjanbureh prison and other secret houses that were rented by the former Jammeh regime for the purpose of keeping people but none of these places can produce our brother. The disappearance of Abdoulie is traumatising us and therefore we are calling on the new government to do all that is within its means to investigate and unravel the truth surrounding his whereabouts or fate. He is the sole breadwinner who has been very supportive to his family,” she disclosed.
It was earlier reported that Mr. Gaye had been picked up at his shop in Kanifing South by a group of men in plain clothes and taken to National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul on Tuesday, 20 September, 2016.
The 52 year old has not been heard or seen by members of family since his abduction. According to his sister, a vehicle without a number plate came to pick him and then drove away to an unknown destination. The source added that they were initially told that Mr. Gaye was held at NIA but that when they went to search for him there, the officials denied access and told them that he was not there.
“We have been calling all his phone numbers which were unreachable,” said the sister.
