State Moves to Block Release of Acquitted Bojang Siblings, Seeks Return to Custody

Written by: Seringe ST Touray

The State has taken urgent legal steps to block the release of Ousainou Bojang and his sister, Amie Bojang, just a day after their acquittal in the Sukuta–Jabang police shooting case, in a dramatic escalation that has now thrown the case into a new phase.

The High Court acquitted both on March 30th on all counts. Their release was expected today, March 31st, following the granting of bail. However, prosecutors moved swiftly to halt that process, filing an application seeking to suspend the bail order and have both individuals remanded at Mile 2 Central Prison pending an appeal.

In the filing, the State is seeking “an order staying the execution” of the bail decision, alongside “an order remanding the 1st and 2nd Respondents in custody… pending the hearing and determination” of its appeal.

The Attorney General’s Chambers has already lodged a Notice of Appeal, signalling its intention to challenge the acquittal before the Court of Appeal.

In an affidavit sworn by Sisawo Cham of the Ministry of Justice, the State stresses the seriousness of the case, describing the offences as “of the highest gravity,” involving the deaths of two police officers, PC Sang J. Gomez and PC Pateh Jallow.

Prosecutors further argue that Ousainou Bojang presents a substantial flight risk. They state he “admittedly fled the jurisdiction… less than 24 hours after the shooting incident” in September 2023, crossing into Senegal. The filing also alleges that Amie Bojang facilitated that escape by arranging transport to the border.

The State warns that allowing the respondents to benefit from bail at this stage could undermine the entire appellate process, citing an “extreme and imminent risk” that they could abscond, rendering the appeal “nugatory.”

It also challenges the adequacy of the bail terms imposed by the court, arguing that the D50,000 bond and surety conditions are “grossly inadequate” to secure Bojang’s attendance, given what it describes as a history of evading security checkpoints and disposing of travel documents.

The application offers critical legal context to the scenes that unfolded today, when both individuals were rearrested shortly after stepping out of Mile 2 Central Prison and taken back into custody by officers of the Police Intervention Unit.

The case stems from the September 2023 Sukuta–Jabang incident, which left two police officers dead and triggered a nationwide manhunt. Ousainou Bojang had faced multiple charges, including murder, acts of terrorism, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm, while his sister was accused of being an accessory after the fact.

Although the High Court has cleared them of all charges, the State’s rapid response, through both an appeal and an attempt to keep them in detention, ensures the matter is far from settled.

The court is now expected to determine whether the bail order should be suspended and whether the two will remain in custody as the appeal process unfolds.