By Nelson Manneh
Two adolescent boys tragically lost their lives in a fire outbreak at a Daara (Quranic boarding school) in Sinchu Alagie on Wednesday, July 6, 2025. The victims—12-year-old Abubacarr Mbacke and 11-year-old Muhammed Njie—succumbed to severe injuries after being admitted to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul, where they were later pronounced dead.
According to the Gambia Police Force, preliminary investigations have revealed deeply disturbing circumstances surrounding the boys’ deaths. Cadet Assistant Superintendent Modou Musa Sisawo, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Force, confirmed that three individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the incident: the head of the school, Ebrima Hassan Cham, and two teachers, Alagie Jobe and Omar Cham.
In a chilling admission, one of the arrested teachers, Alagie Jobe, reportedly told investigators that the boys had previously run away from the Daara. When their parents returned them, Jobe said, a decision was made to prevent any further escape by allegedly chaining and locking the boys inside their dormitory. That same room is where the fire broke out.
“During the course of the investigation, Alagie Jobe admitted that the two boys had previously absconded from the Daara and were subsequently returned by their parents. As a means of preventing any further escape, the boys were allegedly chained and locked inside the dormitory where the fire broke out,” PRO Sisawo stated.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, the implications of the children’s confinement have raised immediate concerns about child safety and human rights in Quranic boarding institutions across the country. The police are currently working to establish whether the fire was accidental or linked to negligence or abuse.
As the investigation unfolds, law enforcement authorities have issued a strong advisory to all educational and Quranic learning institutions, urging them to enforce proper fire safety standards and to respect the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of children in their custody.
“This tragic incident must serve as a wake-up call,” said an officer close to the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity. “No child should die in a locked room, chained or otherwise. That is not education. That is abuse.”
Efforts to speak to the principal of the school were unsuccessful. Sources confirmed that he is currently assisting police with their inquiries.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the two boys have been handed over to their grieving families for burial. Community members in Sinchu Alagie have expressed deep sorrow and outrage, calling for justice and stricter regulation of informal and religious learning centers across The Gambia.
Human rights groups are also beginning to weigh in, with some demanding a full-scale review of child protection laws and the operation of Daraas in the country.
Foroyaa will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes available regarding the investigation and the cause of the fire.
