President Jammeh Named New Intelligence Chief Musa Dibba

By Ebrima Jammeh, Freedom Newspaper Contributor Banjul

Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has named a new intelligence chief for the country’s main spy agency, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Freedom Newspaper can reveal. Musa Dibba, the erstwhile NIA administration Director is now the Agency’s Deputy Director General. “I am writing to inform you that Mr. Musa Dibba, who was brutally tortured in the 2006 foiled coup, and detained at Mile Two Prisons for about a year before his release, has been appointed Deputy Director of the NIA,” said our source.

Mr. Dibba is a seasoned intelligence chief. He has been working with the NIA,  since its formation in July of 1994. Prior to joining the NIA, Dibba was with the defunct National Security Services (NSS).  He also briefly served The Gambia  Police Force, and rose to the rank of a cadet, before joining the Agency.

Our sources said Dibba has since assumed the responsibility of Deputy DG. He is among the few NIA old guards, who survived Jammeh’s hiring, and firing spree.

Dibba is highly educated. He was arrested shortly after the completion of his Master Degree program from the UK, as the Government believed at the time that he was connected to the Ndure Cham so called coup, which led to the execution of Daba Marena and four others. Dibba was cleared from the said allegations, as no evidence was available to indict him. He was later reinstated.

In another development, President Yahya Jammeh has fired Immigration Director Saiho Drammeh. Mr. Drammeh has been replaced by Buba Sanyang. The President has also reinstated convicted coup felon Lt. M A Bah. Mr. Bah has been elevated to the rank of General.