The Gambia Police Force has made significant progress in its investigation into a recent armed robbery in Banjul, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
They have also maintained efforts to bring all perpetrators to justice.
The armed robbery case was reported at the Banjul Police Station following an attack on El Hella Shop, located on Hagan Street in Banjul, at approximately 09:08 a.m.
According to police report, the complainant, Muhammed Seedy Hydara of Brikama, stated that he had travelled to Banjul with D1,245,000 and 1,650,000 CFA to purchase goods. Upon arrival, he noticed a BMW, ash in colour, with no number plate, parked opposite the shop. Moments after entering, two armed individuals stormed the shop, held him at gunpoint, and forcefully took the cash before fleeing the scene.
Moreover following the robbery, the suspects abandoned the vehicle in Banjul and used a commercial vehicle to escape to Sting Corner, where they divided the stolen money.
The report added that through intensive investigations, police arrested the suspects. Ousainou Jobarteh, an Ivorian national residing in Busumbala, was apprehended in the early morning of Sunday, February 9, 2025. Officers recovered D70,250 and 465,000 CFA from him. During interrogation, he admitted to conspiring with Abdoulie Jallow, a 24-year-old resident of Barra, and used his BMW with registration number BJL 4871B to execute the operation.
He further disclosed that Amadou Wurry Jallow, a mechanic, was instructed to drive the vehicle out of Banjul for maintenance and repainting to conceal evidence. The vehicle was later identified and intercepted at Bond Road at about 21:00 hrs (9 p.m.).
The report further stated that later in the day, police arrested Abdoulie Jallow along with his girlfriend, Bella James, at Serekunda Villa around 16:30 GMT (4:30 p.m.). During the search, officers recovered D198,000 from Jallow. Additionally, his Wave account contained D24,000, but no CFA currency was recovered from him.
However, after the operation, the stolen money was divided among the suspects. Ousainou Jobarteh admitted to entrusting D70,250 and 465,000 CFA to his wife, Tida Nyang, while giving her an additional D3,000 for personal use.
He further revealed that he handed over D304,000 to Odile Secka, a female resident of Banjul, bringing the total money entrusted to third parties to D377,250 and 465,000 CFA.
In a separate case, authorities in Guinea Bissau have arrested Ansu Jarju, a Gambian national, in connection with the Access Bank robbery in Brusubi. The suspect has been handed over to The Gambia Police Force (GPF) through “security bilateral”, to ensure his swift extradition and prosecution.
The Police statement indicated that the GPF had recovered firearms and other incriminating evidence, further strengthening the case against the arrested individuals. Investigators are working to determine whether the suspects are linked to other armed robberies in the country.
The Police urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
The GPF also commends its officers for their swift and decisive action and reassures the public of its commitment to maintaining law and order.
The report states: “This is an ongoing investigation, further updates on progress of the investigation will be provided as and when available.”
