By Mustapha Jarju
The Barrow government has been asked to wage war against armed robbers and their related bandit activities amid growing cases of robbery and killings in the country.
The call was made by women within the Kanifing Municipality, as they expressed concern over their safety during and after work.
Mariama Touray, a resident of Talinding said she was once threatened by an unknown man who was masked.
“I was once threatened by a masked man while I was going to the Mosque for the “Fajr” (dawn) prayer. It was a prayer to God which made me escape when another man came out when I saw him. That’s when he hid somewhere.
“…. mask man is threatening to attack me and I have nothing with me at this point”, she explained how she screamed.
According to her, in Talinding, even broad daylight they rob people and “you cannot be in your country without free with your family, go out to look for something to feed your family just because of some small boys that will rob you off of everything you have or even been killed.” This is undone, she added.
Madam Touray therefore called on government to help mitigate such issues because it is a concern as it is affecting the society, mainly the women that wake up as early as 4.a.m to put food on their families’ tables, “the country needs to be controlled and the country`s security needs to be strengthened,” she called government attention to that.
Mariama Dibba, resident of Coastal Road, said: “I feel unsafe now when I am going for my business at the Serekunda market that’s why nowadays I reach the market at past 8am to 9am, because no matter how much I love money I still love and care for my life.”
“I once experienced threat from the attackers while going for my business during the “Fajr’ prayer when I was residing in Bundung. I saw a boy coming towards me, when I saw him I stopped and pretended as if I’m calling someone this was when he also stopped and lean on a fence. I look around me I didn’t see anyone, but from afar I saw people coming out of the mosque from “Fajr” prayer this was when I continued on my route. Because I know when no one is around he can rob me and take away my money,” she narrated her ordeal.
“I used to hear from my fellow women who had been attacked by those boys that when they attack them they will request them to surrender their money and other valuable items or face the consequence of been adamant to their requests. Even, an old woman was once attacked, they stabbed her with knife and take away all her money, that’s not nice,” Fatou Kambai, a vegetable at Serekunda market explained what he heard about the hoodlums act.
Boto Fatty also expressed concern over the attacks, adding that “robbery should be condemned because it is not good for the nation.”
“If government strengthened security enough such incidents wouldn’t happen. we should ask ourselves even in our house people attack orders and whenever you are going out you need to think of your security and all this type of things were not happening before. But why now, no matter what during the past regime security was tight so why this regime security cannot be tighten,” he asked rhetorically.