Hon. Lamin Ceesay, The National Assembly Member For Kiang West Constituency
By Ramatoulie Jawo
Hon. Lamin Ceesay, the National Assembly Member for Kiang West Constituency, has voiced serious concerns regarding security failures following the escape of an alleged murder suspect from police custody. Speaking during the adjournment debate, Hon. Ceesay called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape of the prime suspect, Ebou Secka, who was under arrest for his alleged involvement in a murder case.
Recounting a tragic incident, Hon. Ceesay detailed the disappearance and killing of his constituent, Ebrima Ceesay, whose body was later discovered in a ditch in Foni. He expressed his deep disappointment with law enforcement authorities, questioning how the suspect managed to escape after being taken into custody.
According to Hon. Ceesay, Ebrima Ceesay, a constituent of Kiang West, went missing in 2024. The matter was promptly reported to the police, and Hon. Ceesay personally engaged with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to follow up on the investigation. Despite assurances from the IGP that efforts were being made to locate Ebrima, the situation took a tragic turn.
Hon. Ceesay explained that the last person to communicate with Ebrima was Ebou Secka, who had contacted him for a taxi ride. “Ebrima went to meet him and never returned,” he stated.
While traveling to his constituency last year, Hon. Ceesay stated that he encountered health and police officials in Foni. Upon stopping at the scene, he was permitted to observe what was happening.
“Sometime last year I was going to my constituency, and I met the health officers and police officers somewhere in Foni. I stopped and alighted from my vehicle. When I came down, the chief told the police officers to allow me to see what was happening at the scene. I went and saw a dead body thrown in a ditch. Hon. Speaker, this body was rescued and buried in Foni and later removed again to be taken to RVTH,” he recounted.
He further lamented that, despite being a prime suspect, Ebou Secka remained at large for a significant period before finally being apprehended—only to later escape from police custody under unclear circumstances.“This young man was killed mysteriously and thrown in the forest, where I saw the body myself. The wife was conceived with a nine-month pregnancy; the mother is there, the father is there, Hon. Speaker; sometime later this alleged killer Ebou Secka was arrested and detained, and all of a sudden, the police announced the escape of this person,” he said.
He stated that he had never felt more disappointed or lost greater confidence in Gambia’s security than at this moment—not just as a representative, but as a brother.
Ceesay further urged the Minister for the Interior to launch a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to Secka’s escape.
“I think the police under whose custody the boy was must face justice for that. What leads to his abscond? Why did he escape? Nobody knows about it. Hon. Speaker, this is painful, and it can be anybody’s family. I urge the minister for interior to immediately order an investigation as to what led to the absconding or the escape of this boy,” he said.
In addition to his concerns over security failures, Hon. Ceesay condemned a recent social media post by Baboucarr Bahoum, who labeled the people of Kiang West as ungrateful following a local government by-election. He warned that such divisive remarks threaten national unity and undermine the democratic rights of citizens.
“I think we should discourage that as citizens of this country, franchise is the right of citizens to have the right to vote and be voted for.Hon. Minister of interior I must express the dismay of the people of my constituency and the people of my region through you and to the government of the Gambia, ” he concluded.