Gambian Europe-Bound Boat Carrying 207 Migrants, One Woman and 9 Minors Arrived In Spain

By Ousman A. Marong A Gambian Europe-bound boat carrying 207 migrants, one (1) woman, and nine (9) minors this morning arrived safely in Spain. The Spanish sea rescue vessels disembarked the 2010 migrant passengers at the El Hierro Isla del Meridiano. El Hierro is nicknamed Isla del Meridiano, meaning the Meridian land. It is also the farthest south and west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean on the Coast of Africa, with a population of 11,659 in 2023. Its capital is Valverde. The 207 people, including one woman and 9 minors who were unaccompanied, according to the report, are currently feeling DYC, and the Spanish authorities have taken good care of them. We will give you more updates on this. Our International patterns are working hard to bring us up to speed. Photo: Credit Akum Elvis.

The Arrest And Detention Of Voice Newspaper Journalists A Justification Of President Barrow Preparing Jah A Successor

Photo: (Member of NEPA)
Photo: Credit The Point.

 Opinion

 By Ousman A. Marong

 

The arbitrary arrest and detention of Musa Sheriff, Managing Editor of The Voice Newspaper, together with his deputy Momodou Justice Darboe, is enough justification for one to draw a conclusion suggesting that President Adama Barrow has chosen a successor as he prepared and planned to exit and hanging his political boots in the balance.

If the duo's arrest and detention have anything to go by, with no iota of truth suggesting that the President has chosen a successor (Muhammed Jah) as part of his preparatory exit plan, why arrest the gentlemen?

The arrest and detention of Sheriff and Darboe is nothing but a tactical move to frustrate and stifle them and their media organization.

It is mind-boggling to arrest Darboe, release Sheriff, and ask him to report the following day only to rearrest him and release him on bail, charging him and his deputy editor (Momodou Justice Darboe) with "false publication", subjecting them to daily police reporting with continuous harassment and intimidation tactic meant to silence them.

I, therefore, call on the government of the Gambia, through the Office of Inspector General of Police (IGP), to avoid using the lazy man's approach in the case of The Voice Newspaper Journalists and unify Gambians.

The office of the IGP, through the President, shouldn't have wrongfully arrested the Journalists without taking significant steps to redress the matter into a civil cause.

The office of the IGP has adopted a lazy man's approach by wrongfully arresting Momodou Justice Darboe and Musa Sheriff.

The story run by the medium did not in any way breach or violate any journalist's principles or ethics. It's a story with wings that any journalist interested in running a story can. If the state continues to operate in such a way, it would bring censorship amongst journalists and further derail efforts in citizens and institutions coming forward to play part their part in the recent commissioning of the ATI. The news was welcoming to us as Niumikas, but perhaps jealous Jarrankas police officers had to steal the show by arresting the Journalists who had run the story.

Yours, in the watchdog spirit

Ousman A. Marong

Chairman Journalists International Forum for Migration, JiFORM,

County Coordinator Mediteranean Foundation for Survival of African Migrants, MFSAM.

Ousman A. Marong: Gambian Journalist Appointed Gambia Coordinator Of MFSAM

  

Photo: (Ousman A. Marong).

The General Manager, GM, of Niumi FM, a privately-own radio station in rural Gambia, has been appointed Gambia Coordinator Volunteer of The Mediterranean Foundation for the Survival of African Migrants (MFSAM) as a prestigious organization representing the African Migrants, and Refugees across the length and breadth of Europe, Asia, and the USA. 

His appointment took place in Germany on Tuesday, September 10, during the board of directors meeting. 

Mr Marong will serve in the role alongside, Okpalaji Kenechi, project director in Abuja, Nigeria.

As county coordinator, the highly experienced Mr Marong Sectary-General Migration Reporter's Association of the Gambia (MiRAG), blogger at News Bite Gambia, said he is committed to supporting African Migrants through media advocacy with international partners such as the Mediterranean For the Survival of African Migrants, Journalists International Forum for Migration (JiFORM), German Refugees Association among others. 

"Our youths at this crucial moment, particularly so because of the bad governance on the continent and the sustainability challenges facing the youths, requires that we remain Steadfast and continue to work to ensure that migration on the continent is as important as ever, and migrants activist feel safe to do their work," Mr. Marong, said in a statement.

He added that revitalizing other countries associations across the continent, including in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Tunisia, Algeria, etc will be a top priority during his coordination.

"This is by no means an easy task, but it has to be done," Mr. Marong asserted.

MFSAM works to fight against irregular migration and Human trafficking amongst others. To advocate through their loadable awareness program to the public about the dangers of traveling through the Mediterranean and Sahara desert. We fight for migrants and Refugee rights, act as a leading voice, and have a rescue team of migrants at sea.

Below is Mr. Marong's appointment letter

Schoolgirl Escapes Rape Attempt, Rescued by Donkey Cart Driver on Her Way Home from School

 

Schoolgirl Escapes Rape Attempt, Rescued by Donkey Cart Driver on Her Way Home from School

 

 By Ousman A. Marong

 

In a heart-pounding incident on a Wednesday afternoon, a young schoolgirl, whose identity is being protected, narrowly escaped an attempted rape in the suburbs of Kerr Chebo, located in the Upper Niumi District of the North Bank Region (NBR).

 

According to reliable sources, the girl had just finished her school day and was on her way home, accompanied by her younger schoolmates, when they encountered a menacing stranger. The situation took a terrifying turn when the unknown man approached them with malicious intentions.

 

One of the younger students who witnessed the incident provided an account of the events, stating, "As the unknown man approached, he suddenly grabbed the 13-year-old girl (whose name we won't disclose) by the neck and forcefully began to pull her away from her friends. In sheer panic, we sprinted to inform our elders at home about the dire situation. While running, we encountered a man travelling with a donkey cart and urgently conveyed the matter to him. Thankfully, we were very close to reaching home at that point."

 

The eyewitness emphasized that no sexual assault took place, and the girl remained physically unharmed. "The assailant was unsuccessful in his attempt to harm the girl. She courageously resisted his advances and put up a fierce struggle to protect herself. Observing the man with the donkey cart approaching, the assailant hastily fled into the nearby bushes," the witness added.

 

It is worth noting that students from various villages, including Kerr Alagie Yerro, Kerr Chebo, Kerr Sidiki, Malick Nana, Chiller Jurunku, Prince, Bafuloto, Ksowa, and many others, come to Kerr Chebo to attend school. The distance between these remote villages and the school in Kerr Chebo often spans over 5 kilometres, traversing rugged, bushy roads.

Woman 49 Convicted For Assault

 

Photo: Ba-Amidou Njie (the victim)

 

 

By Ousman A Marong

The principal magistrate Anna O. Mendy of the Essau magistrate's court has convicted and sentenced one Fatou Joof of M’bollet-Ba village in Lower Niumi District (NBR), to a fine of five thousand dalasi (5000), in default to serve one year imprisonment for assaulting one Ba-Amidou Njie.

The court further ordered the culprit to pay one hundred and fifty thousand dalasi (150,000), as a compensation to the victim failure of which will see her to serve another 2-year jail term.

Madam Joof, conviction and sentencing came after the court found her guilty on a single count of assault causing actual bodily harm to Ba-Amidou Njie.

According to the particulars of offence revealed that Fatou Joof on or about 20 January 2023 at M’bollet-Ba village in Lower Nuimi District of North Bank Region (NBR), assaulted Ba-Amidou Njie, a 16-Year-Old boy with a stick all over his body, injured him on his right eye and she pleaded guilty to the charged.

At that juncture, the court ordered the prosecutor to narrate the facts, which he did and tendered a bunch of exhibits.

Among them, a bunch of photos showing the face of the victim as A1-A3. A medical certificate bearing the name of Ba-Amidou Njie of M’bollet-Ba village dated 25 January 2023 as AA.

A voluntary statement of the accused person Fatou Joof as A5 and A cautionary statement of the accused as A6.

The accused Fatou Joof, did not objected to the admissibility of the exhibits. She further called by court to react to the facts as narrated by the prosecution. She reacted to the facts in the affirmative.

Before the sentenced was passed on the convict, she begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

However, the trial magistrate, told the court that, the convict madam Joof, did not waste court's time, and indeed remorseful and she has no previous conviction

In passing her sentencing, magistrate Mendy, said: "I am, therefore, satisfied that the accused intended to plead guilty. Her guilty plea to my mind is direct voluntary and unequivocal. I am further satisfied that fact's narrated has articulated the ingredients of the offence to warrant a conviction.. I accordingly fine you Fatou Joof, guilty as charged.

I, therefore, fine you Fatou Joof to a fine of five thousand dalasi in default to serve one year in prison. And a compensation of one hundred and fifty thousand dalasi to the victim Ba-Amidou Njie, in default to serve two years in prison. All the sentences shall run consecutive.

She reminds the convict of her right to appeal.

 

 

Woman 49 Remanded For Allegedly Beating A 16-Year-Old Causing Him Serious Bodily Harm

Photo: Ba-Ahmedou Njie (victim).

By Ousman A. Marong 

Essau Magistrate's Court presided over by the Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy has on Monday 30th January 2023 remanded one Fatou Joof of Mbollet Bah to the country's main central prison (Mile ll).

The trial Magistrate Mendy, further ordered that the accused be remanded in custody pending his re-appearance at the Essau Magistrate court on the 7th of February, 2023. Ms.

Joof, who should be between the age of 49 - 50, is a resident of Mbollet Bah in the lower Niumi District, North Bank Region (NBR), was slammed with a single count charge of assault causing serious bodily harm. 

Police prosecuting Officer Inspector Omar Manka alleged that the incident happened on Friday 20th January 2023 at Mbollet Bah village in the lower Niumi District (NBR), the accused person Fatou Joof unlawfully hits a 16-year-old boy called Ba-Ahmedou with a stick eye causing him serious bodily harm.

However, Ms. Joof, who was unrepresented in court by a lawyer succumbed to the charges when the charge was read to her in English and Wollof. "The matter came up this afternoon. 

"The charge was read over to the woman. The woman is charged with assault causing bodily harm under section 228 of the criminal code. The charge was read to her in English language and was translated into Wollof, the language she chose and understood well. She reacted and admitted assaulting the boy all over his body including his right eye and arm. A plea of guilty was recorded. The facts were narrated, pictures were tendered, a medical certificate was tendered too and all those documents were admitted in the evidence without her (Fatou Joof's), objection. The prosecution partly narrated facts and apply for an adjournment to make the victim available before the court. According to him, the victim was taken to the hospital by his mother for an appointment. Based on that and since the accused person already pleaded guilty I order for her remanded at mile ll central prison pending continuous facts narration and if possible conviction and sentencing. I have adjourned the matter to the 7th of February, 2023," said the trial Magistrate Mendy.

Woman Brutally Beats 16-Year-Old Causing Him Serious Bodily Harm

 

Photo: Ba-Ahmidu Njie (Victim)

 

By Ousman A. Marong

 

Fatou Joof, a woman believed to be between the age of 49th - 50th from Mbollet Bah, a village in the Lower Niumi District, NBR, was on Friday 20th January 2023 arrested by the Barra, police for allegedly hitting a 16-Year-Old boy by the name Ba-Ahmidu Njie with a stick on the face leaving with a third-degree injury in the eye.

 

Abie Nyan, the mother of the victim alleged that the woman (Fatou Joof), hit her son with a stick in the eye and hand-leaving her male child with third-degree injuries in the eye and on the hand.

 

"Fatou Joof is in the habit of stopping my kids to fetch water from the nearby public tap next to her compound on the highway. She has since stopped them (my kids), from fetching water from the public tap belonging to all of us (the villagers). Her only reason was that the tap is next to her compound. We (the villagers), normally pay a monthly contribution fee thus enabling us to pay for the NAWEC water bill. Before the incident occurred I reported the matter to Alkalo (village head), on several occasions. My last report to the Alkalo was when she (Fatou Joof), threatened to kill my elder daughter, Isatou Njie, in my absence. She told my daughter your life is in my hands and if you are not careful of me I will soon kill you. The Alkalo himself told me that was too much and advised me to report the matter to the police. Upon reporting the matter, the Barra, police immediately wanted to arrest her but again I intervened simply because it was the same day she (Fatou Joof), was to be wed. If I allow the police to arrest her people will assume that it was because I was not wed so I was playing grief and endless co-wife hatred on her. She's in the habit of doing such and I am with believe that she will again repeat it. It was on Friday morning, when I when to Medina Kanuma (my home village), to attend our usual "Komping" contribution and assigned my kids to fetch water before my return. As they were fetching water Fatou Joof came out of her compound to hit my son with a heavy stick on his face," explained the mother of a 16-Year-Old boy.

 

The Barra, Police arrested the woman on the complaint of Abie Nyan, the victim's mother and a native of Medina Kanuma village who is married to Baboucarr Njie in Mbollet Bah. Abie is currently divorced by Baboucarr and Fatou Joof is the current wife staying with the husband (Baboucarr Njie). Fatou works at the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources.

 

Confirming the story, the Deputy police spokesperson, ASP, Muhammed Y. Darboe, said: "Indeed the story happens. The lady assaulted the boy causing bodily harm and she is currently detained helping the police in their investigation."