DLEAG Chief Denies Officers Assaulted Senegalese Content Creator, Pledges Full Cooperation With Death Investigation

By Seedy Jobe

The Director General of The Gambia Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG), Demba Ceesay, has rejected allegations that his officers assaulted or tortured a Senegalese content creator who died following an anti-drug operation in Kerr Serign, saying the agency has “nothing to hide” and is fully cooperating with a police investigation into the incident.

The deceased, Kalidou Diallo, popularly known as Lom De Ziguinchor, died after an incident at Lobo Apartments, where DLEAG officers conducted a raid on Saturday night.

Speaking in an interview on The Final Take on Alkamba Times, Ceesay said the operation was carried out following what he described as “very credible intelligence” about suspected drugs on the premises.

According to Ceesay, officers encountered two Senegalese men, both between the ages of 20 and 21, when they arrived at the apartment.

He said that during the operation, one of the men panicked, fled through a back door, and fell. Officers arrested the other man and were preparing to leave when the agency’s driver and a security officer heard a noise, he said.

Ceesay said officers initially believed the second suspect might have escaped but subsequently discovered the injured man. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The DLEAG chief said drugs were recovered from the premises, disputing claims circulating on social media that officers had found no illegal substances.

“An opinion as strong as that cannot replace facts,” Ceesay said.

He also rejected allegations that DLEAG officers beat or tortured Diallo. With the circumstances surrounding the death now under police investigation, Ceesay said his agency would refrain from discussing details that could interfere with the inquiry.

“We are cooperating 110 percent,” he said. “Because it’s a credible institution. They have been doing this kind of job for the longest time. And we await their investigation.”

Ceesay said the police have handled investigations of greater magnitude and expressed confidence that their inquiry would establish the circumstances surrounding Diallo’s death.

The DLEAG director general also criticized aspects of the media coverage, saying some reports were published without journalists first seeking the agency’s account.

“None of them have ever even called me. None of them have called this agency to find out what happened,” he said. “We are open to the media.”

Ceesay insisted that DLEAG had no reason to conceal information about the incident and encouraged journalists seeking clarification to contact the agency directly.

“In this day and age, actually, you cannot even hide anything,” he said. “So we have nothing to hide here. Our doors are open.”

Responding to criticism about the training and conduct of DLEAG personnel, Ceesay defended his officers while acknowledging that misconduct can occur within any institution.

He said officers found to have acted outside the law face disciplinary measures, pointing to ongoing security sector reforms and training on human rights and the proportionate use of force.

“You cannot brutalize people,” Ceesay said, adding that DLEAG officers serve the communities in which they operate and are expected to uphold professional standards.

The police investigation is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding Diallo’s death, including what occurred during the DLEAG operation and whether any wrongdoing was involved.