By Louise Jobe
Principal Magistrate Fatou Darboe-Jaguraga of the Brikama Magistrate’s Court on Monday ordered the deportation of several citizens of African countries for failure to seek permit or regularise their stay in The Gambia contrary to the Immigration Act.
The prosecution was represented by Superintendent B. Njie and ASP Yaya Colley. The accused persons were not represented.
The particulars of offence alleged that Haruna Sesay, Salifu Amadou, Abdoulie Jallow, Ahro Jacob, Alphonse Luang, Alieu Cisse, Momodou Sara Jallow, Lamarana Jallow, Abass Koroma, Muhammed Sidibeh, Marcus Obadiah, Amadou Jallow, Atoyebi David Samson, Mamudou Jallow, Haruna Ceesay, Almammy Mansary, Ebrima Barry, Alpha Omar Jallow, Ebrima Jallow, Lamarana Sowe, Salieu Jallow, Alfred Lebbie, Issa Kamara, Alieu Keita, Muhammed SonkoKonteh, Siaka Jallow, Omar Barry, Muhammed Touray, Mustapha Sillah, EssaSesay, Abdoulie Sowe, Saidou Jallow, Ibrahim K. Mansary, Samba Jallow, Amadou Sowe, and Ousman Njie on or about the 2nd day of August 2024 at West Coast Region and diverse places in the republic of The Gambia, entered and remained in The Gambia, and failed to regularise their immigration status.
The accused persons hailed from Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, and Mali. The charge sheet was read to the accused persons in Mandinka, Fula, Wollof, and English languages. All the accused persons confirmed understanding the charge against them. They all pleaded guilty as charged.
Samba Jallow, OusmanNjie, and AmadouSowe informed the court that they are Gambian nationals but were not with documents when the arrest was made. Stating the facts before the court, Superintendent B. Njie informed the court that the accused persons were arrested during the immigration routine operations.
“Investigation panel was instituted which was led by the immigration intelligence unit. After the investigation, it was found out that most of the accused persons are without documents, while some are residents without regularising their immigration status. Necessary steps were taken, and all the accused persons were brought before this honourable court,” Superintendent B. Njie told the court.
All the accused persons agreed with the facts narrated by the prosecution when asked by the court whether they have any reservations. The court then convicted the accused persons as charged under section 6 of the Immigration Act punishable under section 31 of the Act.
The prosecution further applied to the court for the deportation of all the accused persons.
“We indulge the court to deport all the accused persons to their countries of origin because they imposed unbearable burden on the command of the Immigration Department. These are undocumented migrants who may pose serious threats to national security,” Superintendent B. Njie said.
He informed the court that there’s available funding to repatriate all the accused persons to their countries of origin.
Principal Magistrate Fatou Darboe-Jaguraga, while passing her judgement, said the court sympathises with all the accused persons, but however, the law as it is, should be followed.
“This court permits Essa Sesay because he is having a child in the country. He is given a grace period of one week to regularise his status, failure of which he would be deported. He is admitted to bail in the sum of D10,000 with one Gambian surety,” she declared.
She further ordered that the rest of the 31 accused persons of foreign nationals be deported to their native countries.
Samba Jallow, Ousman Njie, and Amadou Sowe are granted bail in the sum of D10,000.00 each with a Gambian surety. They are all given a grace period of one week to tender their purported Gambian documents.
Atoyebi David Samson’s case will be handed to the National Agency Against Human Trafficking for necessary steps. He told the court that he had absconded from a person who brought him into the country. Salifu Amadou was sent to the Mile II central prisons pending his plea taking. He said he only understands the Hausa language. There was no interpreter available.
