A day before he left for the United States, Gambia’s sick President Yahya Jammeh, summoned his Army Chief of Staff Major General Masaneh Kinteh, and three other top brass of the army at his palace in Banjul, where he compelled the officers to perform ablution before subjecting them to a loyalty oath, a source familiar with the Jammeh recent encounter with the army command said.  CDS Kinteh and his men were purified through the form of performing a Muslim ablution. The main goal for administering such a secret oath, our source continued:  “was to ensure that Kinteh and co  are clean before touching the Holy Koran. The army officers each made an undertaken that they will never  betray the President Yahya Jammeh under any given circumstances.”

The President, who is suffering from cancer and high blood is increasingly worried about the loyalty of the Gambian army.  Mr. Jammeh  ensures that an oath of allegiance and loyalty was administered on the top brass of the army prior to his departure from  Banjul for Washington DC.

A member of the Jammeh family has been diagnosed with consuming a poisonous food—leading to a state of panic amongst  the Jammeh cabinet. The President was in fact hurriedly airlifted from Gambia by a commercial flight on transit to that country to the United States.  His wife, two kids, and protocol officer Fatou Njie have been in the US for the past three weeks.

Meanwhile, reports have it that some local supermarket owners are on the NIA’S radar for screening,  following the recent food poisoning involving a member of the Jammeh family.  Our source said there is a growing panic in the country, as President Jammeh wants to get to the bottom of the matter—with the anticipation of bringing the culprit(s) to book.

A Presidential aide familiar with the story said the President’s daughter Mariam Jammeh has been frequenting  a particular supermarket for her grocery shopping prior to the incident. The aide said it’s not clear whether the food poisoning was occasioned as a result of  the groceries purchased from the supermarket.  The investigations are still ongoing.

Members of the State House kitchen staff have been interviewed by the NIA, the source said. None of those interviewed has been detained. They were questioned, and let go, said our source.