By Mustapha Jallow
Agents of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) attached to Amdalai/Karang border post, on Monday arrested an ex-member of Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), Lance Corporal Babou Edrissa and later released him at GAF headquarters in Banjul, military sources said.
Sources disclosed that when the ex-soldier arrived at the Gambian side of the border, detective agents put him under arrest and communicated with GAF authorities who ordered for him to be transported to Banjul for questioning.
‘‘Suddenly, military police received him from the NIA. His arrest came in the wake of an alleged intelligence report that the ex-soldier was part of Jammeh’s hit squad. That he deserted the army and was taken to GAF headquarters for interrogation. After questioning, he was released on 6th of February 2018,’’ the source said.
GAF spokesman Major Lamin K. Sanyang confirmed the interrogation of the ex-soldier, adding that the NIA thought that the man may be a threat to national security or ‘Jungler’ which led to his arrest.
A statement from the GAF HQ said: ‘‘The attention of the high command of the Gambia Armed Forces has been drawn to a publication in several social media outlets about the alleged arrest of another Gambian soldier at the Amdalai border post following his purported return from Equatorial Guinea.’’
‘‘The Gambia Armed Forces wishes to inform the general public that the alleged soldier is one Lance Corporal Babou Edrissa who is an ex-soldier of the Gambia Armed Forces (Intake 28) from Mbolletba village and who was dismissed from the Army on the 10th September 2014.’’
According to Military Police investigations, Lance Corporal Babou left The Gambia on 14thSeptember 2014 for Agadez in Niger, in an attempt to reach Europe. Currently, he is resident in Senegal where he works for a security Company and is in the country to visit his family.
In addition GAF said investigations have not in any way revealed his connection to the ‘Junglers’ or the former President.
