By Momodou Gagigo
The Director of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), Demba Ceesay, has strongly defended his officers’ conduct during a recent anti-narcotics raid that left Senegalese content creator Kalidou Diallo, widely known as Lom de Ziguinchor, dead.
Speaking on The Final Take programme hosted by Sainey M.K. Marenah of The Alkamba Times, Ceesay said the incident occurred on the night of 15 August 2026 at a residential lodge in the Lobbo area. He described the operation as based on “very credible intelligence” pointing to the presence of illegal drugs at the premises.
According to the director, DLEAG officers entered the lodge and began a search. Two young men, later identified as aged 20 and 21, were present. Officers reportedly discovered suspected narcotics. One of the men allegedly panicked, attempted to flee through a back door, and fell, sustaining serious injuries leading to his death.
“He jumped through the back door and actually fell down,” Ceesay said. Officers heard a noise, found the man injured, and arranged for him to be taken to hospital. The second individual was arrested and taken to the police station.
The case has sparked public debate and media reports, with some alleging that Diallo may have been assaulted or tortured by law-enforcement officers. Ceesay dismissed those claims as “far from the truth” but declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing independent police investigation.
“We don’t want to talk about something that we are not investigating,” he stated, emphasizing that DLEAG is not conducting the inquiry and is awaiting its outcome.
Ceesay stressed that his officers are cooperating fully with the police. When asked to rate the level of cooperation on a scale of one to five, he replied that it was “110 percent.” He expressed confidence in the police as a credible institution capable of handling cases of significant magnitude.
The director also criticized certain media coverage, saying some journalists published accounts without seeking DLEAG’s side of the story.
He urged reporters to contact the agency for clarification before reporting on sensitive operations, while acknowledging the public’s and media’s right to express views.
Responding to suggestions that some officers lack adequate training, Ceesay insisted that DLEAG personnel, like other Gambian law-enforcement officers, receive training that includes human rights, use of force, and lawful engagement with the public. He conceded that individual officers may occasionally fall short of professional standards, but said management takes action when the agency’s code of conduct is breached. He linked these efforts to broader security-sector reforms aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and promoting proportionate use of force.
Ceesay maintained that DLEAG has nothing to hide and that its doors remain open to the media and the public. The circumstances of Diallo’s injuries will be clarified by the police investigation, he said, and the agency will respect the process and its findings.
