An eyewitness confirmed that he saw the ECOMIG soldiers being bundled by the security forces from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) to the Police Headquarters.
It is reported that the police went to the said area and found the ECOMIG soldiers with some people including women at a birthday party where they were arrested and taken to PIU Headquarters.
A source who is familiar with the matter and spoke to The Point on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the birthday party cake was confiscated by the PIU personnel.
However, an eyewitness said: “At the Police Intervention Unit I was there watching them till they were taken to the Police Headquarters in Banjul.
These people were there and they were in civilian clothes; they were not even dressed as soldiers at the time of the arrest.
The eyewitness who could not ascertain the exact number believes there were quite a dozen.
It's more than 10 people; the girls alone are 10 or more not to talk about the ECOMIG.
It is believed that the arrested soldiers are Senegalese nationals.
Police Spokesperson Superintendent Lamin Njie confirmed the incident but gave a lesser number of ECOMIG soldiers involved than the eyewitness’ account.
“On the 16th of September, 2020, our officers on patrol got a tip off about certain individuals throwing up a birthday party at Bijilo thereby violating the regulations,” the police spokesperson said. “The team arrived at the venue where they found a crowd attending a birthday pool party.”
He continued: “Individuals were arrested together with the proprietor of the venue.
“Among the arrested people, two individuals identified themselves as members of the Senegalese ECOMIG Contingent.
“They are all being processed for appropriate actions,” he said.
President Adama Barrow in August 2020 imposed a night curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for 21 days throughout the Gambia to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Many Gambians have been fined for violation of the emergency regulation.
And many are calling on the authorities to ensure there is no exception in serving justice.
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