After Ruffling me; Forced Me To The Ground At Gambisara, The Paramilitary
Said They Suspect That I Am Crazy,’ Prince Sankanu Tells Freedom Radio
‘After Ruffling me Up; Forced Me To The Ground At The Gambisara President’s
Meeting, The Paramilitary Said They Suspect That I Am Crazy,’ Prince
Sankanu Tells Freedom Radio

By Pa Nderry M’Bai

E-Mail: [log in to unmask]

Tel: 919-749-6319

Skype: pancmbai

After he was ruffled up, and brutally beaten by President Yahya Jammeh’s
security detail—leaving him to fall on the ground thereby having his
cellular phone stolen, Journalist Prince Baboucarr Sankanu, is still
recovering from the Wednesday brutal incident at Gambisara, where he was
manhandled by armed soldiers, the Freedom Newspaper can report. Mr. Sankanu
is currently held at a police station in Bakadaji, in the Upper River
Region, where he is placed under detention until further notice, the
Freedom Newspaper has gathered.  Mr. Sankanu was part of the entourage
accompanying the Gambian leader—although uninvited. He was at the Gambisara
meeting at his own expense. President Jammeh is touring the country at this
hour—having meeting with the farming community.

Mr. Sankanu tells Freedom Radio that he was supposed to represent his
village at the Gambiasara meeting, where he was supposed to address the
Presidential delegation—only to be manhandled by security agents. The
soldiers believed that the Sarahule Prince appeared mentally
challenged—given his alleged unpredictable comportment at the meeting
ground—thus the soldiers accompanying Jammeh decided to yank him from the
area. Sankanu said his assaulters told him that he is a security threat and
he also appeared insane. He was manhandled and forced to the ground. He
lost his cell phone during his encounter with the soldiers. There were some
Madrasa students assembled waiting for the President at the time of the
incident, he said.

Mr. Sankanu thinks that he is a victim of betrayal and rejection. He is
blaming the local chief in the Basse area and some unnamed government
workers, whom he said, for unknown reasons, felt threatened by his presence
in the country. Mr. Sankanu said he was selected by his village Sarahule
community to speak on their behalf at the Gambisara meeting. He met with
Omar Khan, the Governor of the area, including other government officials
prior to the meeting to announce his presence.

While he was patiently waiting for the President to arrive, Mr. Sankanu
said some security personnel profiled him by accusing him of being insane.
He said some army personnel arrested him and handed him to the paramilitary
officers, who told him that he is a potential security risk and his
presence in the area was unwelcomed.

Mr. Sankanu alleged that he was physically assaulted and abused by his
captives. He was later handed to the Bakadaji police, where he was
processed. His statement was taken by the police at Bakadaji. Although he
was never placed in the cell. Sankanu was chatting and drinking attaya (a
local Gambian brew) with the police when we phoned on Wednesday afternoon.
He said bought some attaya for the cops on duty. He was never harassed by
the police.

Mr. Sankanu said even though has publicly endorsed President Jammeh as the
legitimate leader of the country, prior to his home return, he is being
consistently harassed for merely trying to contribute his quota to nation
building.  Mr. Sankanu has reached a frustration point that he said he felt
that he is not needed in the country. He cannot understand why some folks
in the government thought that he is out to take their jobs. “I am not here
to take anyone’s job. I am not looking for a job. I am here to invest and
contribute my quota to nation building. I want to improve the nation’s
movie industry,” Mr. Sankanu told Freedom Radio.

According to Sankanu, this is not the first time that he has been
maltreated by members of President Jammeh’s party. He said a similar
incident occurred in Kanilai, the President’s home village, where he was
ruffled up by party militants.  Mr. Sankanu now felt disappointed and
betrayed. He said he is considering taking a break and return to his home
in Germany until after the Muslim fast period Ramadan.

Mr. Sankanu talked about the bureaucracy in the country. His unsuccessful
attempts to secure a TV program show with GRTS, the unaired interview he
had with Malick Jones, a career former disco jokey, now a Permanent
Secretary at the Information Ministry, his meetings with Tourism officials
on his planned movie projects, featured prominently during the Freedom
radio interview.

Mr. Sankanu said he wanted to pay for an airtime on GRTS to enable him to
launch his own TV show, but that efforts is not bearing any fruits. Someone
out there is foot-dragging on his project proposal, he said. Mr. Sankanu
said he is not asking for free airtime. He said he was going to pay for the
time slot allocated to him.

Regarding his unaired interview with Malick Jones, Sankanu said he read in
the papers about a “GRTS insider” exposing the censorship meted out to him.
He said he will reserve his comments on the matter. He wants this Editor to
contact Malick Jones for comments since he Jones conducted the interview.

With all these persecution directed at him, Prince Sankanu, as he is fondly
called, said he doesn’t think that President Jammeh is aware of his
predicament. “I don’t think President Jammeh is aware of what is happening
to me. I will not blame him for it. I have no problem with President
Jammeh. I wanted to use the Gambisara meeting to accurately reflect the
views of my villagers, but I was denied access to the meeting. As I am
speaking to you, I am under detention at the Bakadaji police station. I
have received so phone calls since my arrest. I am here and not yet
released,” Mr. Sankanu said.


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