By Nelson Manneh
The police used live ammunition when they shot at a suspect they say was trying to escape at Fass Njaga Choi. The Public Relations Officer of The Gambia Police Cadet Assistant Superintendent Modou Musa Sisawo confirmed this to Foroyaa yesterday.
PRO Sisawo further informed Foroyaa that the victim has not yet been discharged from the hospital where he was admitted after the incident. However, the victim is responding to treatment, says the police PRO.
This reporter yesterday visited Fass Njaga Choi, where the incident took place, and spoke to those residing around the place where the shooting took place to hear from them.
Speaking to this reporter, residents confirmed that the victim (MomodouJallow) is not a native or resident of Fass.
“We saw him around, but none of us recognized him, if he was a resident of this community at least one person could have recognized him,” one Mariama Faye told this reporter.
Mr Alagie Jawara, a native of Fass Njaga Choi, who is a businessman and has his shop opposite the crime scene, said he was not around when the incident happened but was informed about it when he returned to his shop.
Readers could recall that the PRO of the Gambia Police Force on Saturday, 15 June 2024 reported that Momodou Jallow was shot at the buttocks at Fass Njagga Choi, North Bank Region.
He argued that the Fass Njaga Choi area has experienced an uptick in cross-border criminal activities, leading to multiple attacks on police officers (PIU Personnel).
In response to this, PRO Sisawo said PIU deployment has increased patrols to curb these incidents and maintain security.
He said during one of these intensified patrols in the early hours of Saturday, June 15, 2024, the police encountered Momodou Jallow suspiciously loitering around a Mauritanian shop.
He said when officers requested him to submit to a search, he refused and fled, carrying a bag. In the ensuing confrontation, he was shot at the buttocks.
“After surrendering, Jallow was arrested. A search revealed three bundles of suspected cannabis in his possession. He (the victim) was taken to the Amdalai Police Station for processing and subsequently transported to Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in Banjul for medical treatment,” he said.
