By Mustapha Jallow
The Gambia Police Force (GPF) on Monday opened an investigation into alleged ‘beatings and abuses’ of Chipa Yi, a Banjulian rapper.
The Police spokesperson Superintendent (Spt.), Lamin Njie, said the rapper was invited to the police complaint Service on Monday morning (13 December, 2021), where he (rapper) reported his complaint.
Njie said: “We received a complaint from the rapper. Currently, the Police Professional Unit is probing into the matter.”
He added that details will be shared when detectives are done with investigations into the allegation.
This came in the wake when the Banjulian rapper wrote on his Facebook page alleging that he was beaten up mercilessly by paramilitary forces.
Below is the written statement of the rapper on his platform:
I am writing this with huge disappointment and in a state of serious pain and discomfort.
The Security personnel who swore to protect us as citizens of The Gambia are the very ones who beat me to a pulp this early morning of Sunday 12th December 2021.
Today morning at around 1:56 am in the morning as I went to my corner shop at Ingram Louvel Square Banjul to buy dinner, some PIU Personnel attacked me and beat me mercilessly. The first PIU Officer to enter the shop scolded me and when I asked him what was going on he slapped me and another officer kicked me.
I raised up my hands to proclaim my innocence but the Officer refused to enquire about my innocence. Without warning other Officers entered the shop and started kicking me and throwing blows at my face and dragged me outside the shop while beating me with their batons.
When the shop owner informed the Officers of my innocence they responded by saying “f***king sh***t your mouth” and continued beating me.
I heard Officers enquire about a rasta man whom the Officers were looking for and assumed I was the suspect.
In the chaos that ensued I was beaten up mercilessly as Officers broke some of my valuable belongings and injured me seriously. My whole body is currently swollen up with bruises on my wrist and body from the beating.
After beating me up mercilessly the Officers threw me into their pickup truck and kept beating me all the way to the PIU Police station. The shopkeeper who also tried to plead for my innocence was taken along to the PIU Police Station in Banjul.
Finally, they took me to the Police Headquarters all beaten up and bruised. After I regained consciousness and explained myself at the Police Headquarters in Banjul they realized that they mistook me for another person whom they said insulted them but since am with dreadlocks hence they thought I was that person.
After realizing this and seeing my condition they took me to the Bakau Nyambai hospital for treatment and released me to go home without opening up any police case to pursue the matter further.
I am now focusing on regaining my full health and will be engaging all the necessary authorities including the National Human Rights Commission and the Gambia Police Force in due time.
“No to Police Brutality❌”
