This spate of armed robbery is increasingly threatening the peace and security of the Nation. Armed robbery incidents have been reported in Farafenni, CRR, Brusubi and Badjie Estate in the Western Region.
These incidents involved the GNPC petrol station, Access Bank, CCR in Njau Sawalo a Mauritanian shop keeper was attacked in the evening by four armed robbers who fled with a substantial amount of money, and a forex bureau, which occurred in broad daylight. Hence a wake-up call for the security to reinforce their presence in key places across the country. The public should also be security conscious to always support the security forces in their effort to quell criminal activities across the country. Toll numbers should be reintroduced to make it easy for the people to relate or liaise or better still pass information to the police.
The government should provide more logistics to equip the security forces to enable them do their work effectively.
Having plainclothes officers in the patrol teams will also greatly help in the fight to curb criminal activities in the country. Traffic police should be vigilant to monitor taxis and vehicles without number plates and tainted glasses.
Mr President, financial institutions such as banks and forex bureaus, and petrol stations should collaborate with the Police on a strategy that will ensure their security and businesses. Tackling the issues of armed robberies and other criminal tendencies in society calls for coequal responsibility between the security forces and concerned stakeholders. The full force of the state must be employed to contain the situation.
Government should have CCTV fixed at strategic locations in public places.
Jammeh
Mr President, the threat of Yahya Jammeh to come back and deal with the authorities is not new, but we should take it seriously. He has broken the rules of asylum by interfering in Gambian politics. The authorities of Equatorial Guinea should be notified and action taken. Both Gambia Government and ECOWAS should speed up the trial of Jammeh after he authorised the killing of 240 people according to the TRRC report and embezzled 362 million USD and acquired 300 properties illegally according to the Janneh Commission.
SetSettal
Mr President, the reintroduction of the national cleanup day or “Set Satal” is welcome but business should go ahead, with banks open, students go to classes and traffic should not be affected. Those who fail to clean their environs should be penalised and fined.
Good day!