By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Lieutenant General Sulayman Badjie, aka Saul Badgie and thirteen (13) others including two children have arrived home in The Gambia from Equatorial Guinea after spending five years self-imposed exile.
Lieutenant General Saul Badjie and the thirteen other returnees have been residing in Equatorial Guinea since 2017, when they left with former President Yahya Jammeh to his exile home of Malabo.
His returned to the country come barely 24 hours when the Ministry of Justice made available to the public the highly anticipated report and recommendations of the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), found the former right hand man of former President Yahya Jammeh culpable for his alleged participation in the murder of two Americans Mamud Ceesay and Alhagie Jobe.
Other returnees who came alongside with Gen. Badgie includes Lieutenant Colonel Wandifa Barrow, Lieutenant Colonel Amadou Joof, Major Landing Tamba, Lieutenant Kaddy Colley, Warrant Officer Class I Musa Badjie, Sergeant Nyassi Lamin, Sergeant Jarju Landing, Sergeant Jammeh Lamin LB, Almameh Kujabi, Mariatou Jammeh, Awa Jammeh, Aramata Camara and two children.
Armed Spokesperson, Captain MalickSanyang has meanwhile confirmed the returned of Gen. Saul Badgie and the thirteen other returnees to the media, disclosing that the army is well aware of the returned of the support staff of former President YahyaJammeh.
Army PRO added that the men are in town, and the Gambian authorities have lodged them whilst they go through administrative processes, adding that the return of the group was facilitated through diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, the office of the National Security Advisor on Saturday issued a statement confirming the return of the support staff of former Jammeh.
“Through the Office of the National Security Advisor, the general public is informed of the return in The Gambia of support staff who travelled to Equatorial Guinea with the former President of The Republic of The Gambia signalling an end to the 2016 Presidential election impasse.” office of the NSA issued.
It added: “Five years on or thereabout, these returnees voluntarily made their intentions of returning to their motherland known and wished for arrangements to be made to facilitate their return. Considering the long duration of absence from their families and loved ones, the Government of The Gambia listened and heard their plea, and promised to look into the best modalities employable to ensure an orderly, as well as a befitting re-unification with their families.”
However, it could be recalled that Gen. Badgie and some of these returnees were seen in viral videos jubilating the winning of President-Elect Adama Barrow signalling their preparations for their return.
This is not the first time support staff of former President Yahya Jammeh returned home to The Gambia, in 2019, General Umpa Mendy and weapons expert Ansumana Tamba returned home. Their returned home prompted their arrest, detention and prosecution, charges that they have been cleared off by the courts.