Haggi Jawara, a veteran diplomat and The Gambia’s Consular in Angola, has issued a stern warning to authorities over the unchecked rise of street drifting, a reckless driving trend that has turned quiet neighbourhoods into danger zones and left innocent bystanders severely injured.
Speaking to our reporter, Jawara described the situation along Kairaba Avenue as “intolerable,” citing frequent incidents where young men engage in high-speed drifting during the early hours of the morning. “It’s become a nightly ordeal,” he said. “Around 2am, these boys take over the roads. The noise alone keeps us from sleeping, but the real tragedy is the number of people who have been hurt, some have even lost their legs.”
Despite reporting the issue to police, Jawara lamented the lack of meaningful intervention. “Little has been done to address this menace,” he said. “We need the Minister of Interior and the Inspector General of Police to deploy security patrols in these hotspots, especially during the night.”
The diplomat’s call comes amid growing public outrage over the injuries and trauma caused by drifting. Residents have shared harrowing accounts of near-misses, collisions, and the psychological toll of living in fear.
Jawara insists that the law must be applied without favour. “It doesn’t matter who is involved,” he said. “Whoever is caught in the act should face the full force of the law. If there are heavy punishments, it will go a long way in deterring this behaviour.”
As the country grapples with the consequences of this dangerous trend, Jawara’s intervention may prove to be a turning point in the fight to reclaim public safety.
