NIA Releas Gambian Journalist, Baboucarr Ceesay

 

Mafugi Ceesay


Gambian journalists’ leader Baboucarr Ceesay has been released by the country’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on Monday, March 11, 2013.

Ceesay was arrested and detained for the second time in six months on Friday, March 8, 2013 - this time by the tiny West African country’s secret police, the NIA.

“I was released on self bail and the agency is holding my passport,” Ceesay told Front Page International (FPI) on Monday. He is not charged, but the NIA is investigating him, FPI reported.

Mr Ceesay is the first vice president of The Gambia Press Union (GPU), and a stringer of the Nairobi-based Africa Review, an outlet of the Nations Media Group.

Mr Ceesay told The Voice he was arrested near the Roland Clinic in Churchill's Town, Serrekunda. He said his arrestors did not allow him to talk to his family to inform them that he was under arrest.

Earlier media reports have it that two men attempted to abduct Babucarr Ceesay on Wednesday 13, February around 1.00am after enquiries about his whereabouts by “suspected spies”.

Baboucarr Ceesay and Abubacarr Saidykhan, a freelance journalist, were arrested, detained, charged and released in September 2012 by Gambia’s International Police agency, INTERPOL, for applying to organize a peaceful demonstration against the execution of nine death-row inmates in the Gambia.