IGP Touray: ‘All Murder Suspects Are in Custody’ as Police Urge Public to Help Fight Crime

Written by: Dawda Baldeh

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Seedy Mukhtar Touray has sought to reassure Gambians that the country remains safe despite a spate of recent killings, insisting that all suspects linked to the latest alleged murder cases have been arrested and will face justice.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, jointly convened by the Ministries of Interior and Information, the IGP expressed condolences to the victims’ families and pledged that the Gambia Police Force would continue pursuing offenders relentlessly.

“We acknowledge the irreparable loss of valuable lives and commiserate with the affected families. We hope it will console them to know that all alleged murderers are arrested and will be arraigned before a court of law,” Touray said.

The recent killings include those of Yunusa Mbye of Fajara, Kebba Sare of Wellingara, Dawda Beyai, popularly known as David, at St. Charles Lwanga Church in Fajikunda, Mbye Dem of Manjai Kunda, and Ebrima Njie of Latrikunda.

While describing the killings as tragic, Touray said many of the incidents occurred in locations where police could not reasonably be expected to maintain a constant presence.

“The Gambia Police Force is doing everything humanly possible to police the streets, but it is just not possible for us to be everywhere at every given time,” he said.

He called on owners of bars, restaurants, motels and entertainment venues to strengthen security by screening patrons for weapons and employing security personnel to help prevent violent confrontations.

The IGP revealed that between 5 and 28 June 2026, police carried out 64 joint patrol operations across the Kanifing Municipality and West Coast Region, leading to the arrest of 615 people for various offences.

Touray also dismissed claims that delayed police responses are routinely caused by fuel shortages, saying the force’s main challenge is an insufficient number of operational vehicles.

“I seriously doubt claims that police vehicles have no fuel. What we lack is enough vehicles to deploy at every police station,” he said, adding that additional vehicles are expected in the coming months.

Responding to concerns that a series of high-profile murder cases appears to contradict official claims of declining crime, Touray maintained that national crime statistics tell a different story.

“Crime is decreasing in The Gambia. Our first-quarter 2026 report recorded a 7.29 per cent reduction compared to the same period in 2025, and we have empirical evidence to support it,” he stated.

The police chief concluded by appealing for greater public cooperation, urging citizens to promptly report criminal activity instead of resorting to mob justice.

“Where prevention is impossible, we will detect, apprehend and prosecute offenders in accordance with the law,” he said.