Eleven soldiers including Warrant Officer Class 1 Ismaila Jammeh, Warrant Officer Class 1 Pa Sanneh, Warrant Officer Class 1 Alieu Jeng, Warrant Officer Class 2 Abdoulie Jallow alias Jallino, Staff Sergeant Lamin Sambou, Staff Sergeant Lamin Badgie, Staff Sergeant Amadou Badgie, Staff Sergeant Omar Jallow alias Oya, Lt Malick Jatta and Staff Sergeant Musa Johnson have been held for more than seven two hours contrary to the dictates of the constitution that within a period of seventy two hours they should either be taken to court or be released on bail with or without conditions.
The armed forces’ assertion that they are being held under the Armed Forces Act is without foundation because the Constitution takes precedence over the Armed Forces Act and this Constitution applies to all citizens and others living in The Gambia, irrespective to whether they are civilians or soldiers.
Gambians united and voted out Yahya Jammeh not to follow his footstep of impunity but to pursue democracy, the rule of law and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Public servants must be transformed from lords to servants. Security officers must be transformed from oppressors to defenders of the sovereign rights of the people.