Police Arrests Suspects in Brazen Banjul Heist and Take Custody of Access Bank Robber
GPF IGP Seedy Mukhtar Touray
By Edward Francis Dalliah
In a significant development, less than three weeks after the Gambia Police Force (GPF) reported a series of robberies, including incidents at Access Bank and in Banjul, authorities have arrested three suspects connected to these brazen robberies.
The recent wave of armed robberies has raised serious concerns about safety and security in the country, making the National Assembly Member of Banjul North, Hon. Modou L. Bah, refer to the situation as a “sad moment” for the country, as quoted by The Point Newspaper. The brazen armed robbery took place close to the seat of power in the State House and in the capital, where the Gambia Police Force is headquartered.
Officers responded quickly to stop and search vehicles leaving and entering Banjul, and the suspects were eventually apprehended.
Similarly, the United Democratic Party (UDP) issued a statement published by The Point Newspaper, calling on the relevant stakeholders to act accordingly and “deploy all needed resources to arrest and reverse this most urgent situation.”
In response, the police launched an investigation and have made significant progress, leading to the arrest of two suspects involved in the El Hella shop robbery. According to the police, they have arrested one Ousainou Jobarteh, an Ivorian national residing in Busumbala, alongside his accomplice Abdoulie Jallow, a 24-year-old resident of Barra, who allegedly stole D1,245,000.00 and 1,650,000.00 CFA from the El Hella shop on Hegan Street in Banjul.
The Banjul robbery occurred on Saturday, 8th February 2025, while that of the Access Bank occurred on 22nd January 2025. The police reported that two individuals entered the El Hella shop with arms and stole money from one Muhammed Seedy Hydra of Brikama who came to purchase goods and fled the scene in an ash-coloured BMW without a license plate.
Meanwhile, during the Access Bank robbery, three men were carrying pistols, although only one of them pulled out a gun and entered the bank with the rest collecting an unidentified amount of money from the teller's counter before fleeing in a Benz V-Boot vehicle without a number plate.
Additionally, in a separate operation related to the Access Bank robbery, the police reported that “authorities in Guinea-Bissau have arrested Ansu Jarju, a Gambian national, in connection with the Access Bank robbery in Brusubi. The suspect has been handed over to The Gambia Police Force through security bilateral to ensure his swift extradition and prosecution.”
Soon after the Banjul incident was reported, pictures and videos of the robbery taken from CCTV footage began circulating on social media, and within 48 hours, authorities updated the public that they had arrested the suspects in separate locations.
The rise in armed robberies in the country recently contrasts with the country’s reputation for peace and stability. As of recent years, the country has seen a decline; it ranked 3rd in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 but dropped to 12th in 2024. Globally, the country fell from 45th out of 168 nations in 2022 to 59th in 2023 and further declined to 82nd in 2024.
On the other hand, the Gambia Police Force was recently awarded the Golden Star for exemplary national service in West Africa and the title of Best National Police Force in West Africa for the years 2023-2024 at the 18th Security Watch Africa Awards, which took place in December 2024.
Despite these troubling trends, the Inspector General of Police, Seedy Mukhtar Touray, emphasised that crime rates are “steadily declining” based on police "statistics." He made this statement during an appearance on Coffee Time at West Coast Radio on 21st January 2025.
