Gambian police have arrested the former head of the National Intelligence Agency, an institution accused of enforced disappearances and killings under former President Yahya Jammeh.

“We have arrested Yankuba Barjie, former director of NIA, and Sheikh Omar Jagne, director of operations. Investigations are ongoing,” Gambia police spokesperson Foday Conta confirmed.

Conta said investigations are ongoing and that the duo have yet to be charged though the arrests were made on Monday evening.

This is the first high-profile arrest of former members of the previous regime since their surprise election triumph.


Two weeks ago Gambia police chief Yankuba Sonko told Anadolu Agency that the small nation’s Interior Minister Mai Fatty has issued a directive to probe the cases of missing people in the country.