BOMBSHELL AT THE NDEA—20 OFFICERS FIRED!!!

The Latest Purging Of The Anti Narcotic Unit

Khalilu Njie And Mbye Njie Blamed For The Sackings

Internal Infighting Engulfed The NDEA

Staff Reporter Malang Jammeh & Pa Nderry M’Bai

Tuesday was one of the darkest days in the history of Gambia’s anti narcotic unit, which is referred to here as The Gambia National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA),  as twenty senior officers of the Agency were dismissed without any official reason given, highly placed sources in the heart of the NDEA told the Freedom Newspaper today.  Some senior, and junior officers of the unit were among the fired staff—some of whom were sacked because of their close ties with the agency’s former boss Bun Sanneh, the jailed Army Chief of staff General Lang Tombong Tamba, and other internal issues affecting the discredited anti narcotic agency.

Topping the list of the dismissed NDEA officers was Chief Superintendent Fanny William.  Ms. William’s dismissal, according to well placed sources within the agency, was as a result of a longstanding grudge the agency’s Deputy Director Khalilu Njie harbored against her.

Relationship between William, and Njie soured shortly after the latter’s sacking from the NDEA on alleged corrupt practices. Khalilu Njie was being investigated by the National Intelligence Agency, following reports that he (Mr. Njie) “killed” a drug case after receiving D80,000 dalasi from the accused person. Njie was alleged to have dropped the case file pertaining the said drug dealer. He reportedly shared the D80,000 dalasi with Bun Sanneh and others, sources said.

It was during the course of the investigations that the NIA invited Superintendent Fanny William to shed light on the said case. Ms. William testified before the NIA investigating panel, which never go down well with Khalilu Njie, who recently prepared an attestation letter on behalf of businessman Amadou Samba—clearing his name from the one billion dollar cocaine bust case in the Gambia, sources familiar with the case said.

Mr. Njie saw his reinstatement into the NDEA as an opportune moment to fight back against his perceived enemies.  He blamed Fanny William, and others for his sacking.  He claimed that Fanny handed the drug case file he (Mr. Njie) allegedly “killed” to the NIA, which led to his subsequent sacking from the agency.  Fanny William is now gone. She was dismissed on Tuesday alongside with other NDEA officers.

 Also among those fired was Chief Inspector Safi Njie. She was fired alongside with Chief Inspector Samba Jawo officer Commanding the Central River Region ( CRR). The NDEA hierarchy claimed that Jawo was not “bringing drug cases” to the agency, but sources familiar with the sackings said OC Jawo was one of the most competent officers at the agency.

 Sources disclosed that Jawo was frustrated by the “institutionalized” corruption within the agency. Many a time he (OC Jawo) would apprehend drug dealers, but his apprehension case files were dropped by corrupt officials in the position of authority at the NDEA, sources said. This to some extent led to Jawo’s low staff morale. He was discouraged by NDEA officers who were in the habit of setting free drug dealers. A good number drug apprehensions effected by Jawo’s men were dropped by the NDEA command in Banjul, sources explained.

Another reason attributed to Jawo’s removal was his relationship with the former NDEA chief Bun Sanneh, and the jailed army chief General Tamba.  Sources admitted that Ben Jammeh doesn’t know Jawo well, but  Mr. Jammeh’s decision to let go Jawo was based on the information given to him by Khalilu Njie, and the agency’s Operations Director Mbye Njie.

Next on the list of the fired NDEA officers was Inspector Nyakassi Jammeh, whose wife is a Colonel in The Gambia Armed Forces Ara Jarju.  Nyakassi’s case stemmed from a farm he allocated to the former NDEA chief Bun Sanneh.  The said farm is situated in the Fonnis. He was in the good books of Bun Sanneh. 

Mbye Njie, and Khalilu Njie thought that the likes of Nyakassi should be purged from the system because they entertained the belief that Mr. Jammeh is still pledging his allegiance and loyalty to Bun Sanneh.  They also complained about the farm Nyakassi allocated to Bun while Sanneh heads the agency.

Inspector Musa Jarju, an efficient NDEA officer was also dismissed.  Mr. Jarju was accused of being a close associate of  Alagie Morr Jobe,  the former head of the Special Unit at the NIA, which handles high profile cases. Alhagie Morr Jobe was transferred to the NDEA, but later fired. He was accused of arm possession among other charges. His case is still pending in court, while he ( Jobe) is under suspension from the agency, sources said.

Family members of the jailed army chief General Tamba were also not spared in this latest purging of the NDEA staffers. Nyimanding Tamba, a Narcotic Control Assistant one (NCA1) and her sister Adama Tamba (NCA1) were both fired.  Nyimanding was posted at the Banjul Post Office, while Adama Tamba was on posting at the Kotu police station prior to their sacking from the NDEA. They are both sisters of General Tamba, sources here said.

Also among those sacked Tuesday was the son of Bun Sanneh Corporal  Modou Sanneh. Modou Sanneh has finally been shown the exit door. He is the biological son of the embattled Bun Sanneh.

 Sainabou Willan, a close friend of Bun Sanneh’s wife Yassin Bittaye, who was also a former staffer of the agency, has been dismissed, sources told the Freedom Newspaper. Sainabou was on posting at Bansang. She was asked to report to the agency on Tuesday, where she was handed with a dismissal letter, sources said.

Alhagie Bittaye, a Narcotic control Assistant one (NCA1), who is a  younger brother of Yassin Bittaye, the wife of Bun Sanneh was also sacked.  Mr. Bittaye received his sacking letter on Tuesday, alongside with Lamin Bojang (NCA1), and Inspector Musa Krubally of Bansang NDEA station

Manga Fadera, a close friend of Bun Sanneh was also sacked. Manga who  is believed to be a Bissau Guinean National was hired by Bun Sanneh. Bun believes that Fadera’s presence in the agency would help boost the agency’s efforts to infiltrate Guinean drug traffickers who had ties in Banjul.  Manga Fadera speaks perfect Guinean, and was also a close loyalist of Bun Sanneh.

Salifu Sanneh, the former orderly of Bun Sanneh, Inspector Assan Badjan, Station officer at Brikama NDEA unit, and five other officers were all dismissed on Tuesday.  There are more officers lined up to be sacked, sources said. Some had already received   their dismissal letters, while others were called to show up at the NDEA Command Center in Banjul to receive their marching orders.

Police Refused To Accept Sacked Officers

In their bid to have some of the sacked NDEA officers transferred to the police, the police command headed by Yankuba Sonko turned down the NDEA request letter. Mr. Sonko and his team cited budgetary constraints as a reason to turn down the NDEA transfer request. They politely rejected the NDEA request without any rancor.

According to sources, some of the dismissed NDEA officers lined up to be transferred to the police don’t have any formal police training. Sources said the police command pointed out logistical and monetary expenses involved in training the men. The police is said to be overstaffed.

When contacted an official of the NDEA confirmed the sacking. The NDEA official said they received instructions from the “top” to fire the said officers.