By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
Aggrieved customary landowners and demolition victims of Salagi Layout Proper in Sukuta have publicly accused at least 20 senior government officials of illegally acquiring state lands at the estate. The allegations were made during a press conference held at the demolition site on Thursday, April 10, 2025, spotlighting what the group described as a clandestine land grab orchestrated by officials primarily from the Ministry of Local Government and Lands, Physical Planning, and Lands and Survey.
The accused include high-ranking figures such as Mamud Manjang, Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS), and Ndey Marie Njie, Permanent Secretary (PS) 1, both of the Ministry of Local Government and Lands, alongside others like Dawda Fatty, Director of Lands and Survey, and former officials like Junkung Colley, ex-Minister of Local Government and Lands, and Fafa Sanyang, former Petroleum Minister. The list also names spouses, family members, and associates of these officials, who allegedly benefited from land allocations at the expense of customary owners.
Alhagie Momodou Morrow Bojang, representing the Kenebaring Kabilo of Sukuta, claimed senior officials colluded to mislead and obstruct efforts to uncover the alleged land grab. “They succeeded in acquiring lands not only for themselves but also for their spouses, children, friends, girlfriends, and people abroad while denying us, the customary landowners, our rights,” Bojang stated. He challenged the government and the Department of Physical Planning to produce evidence of legal land acquisition, asserting that the estate was forcibly taken without consultation or compensation.
Bojang referenced a 2024 Panel Report obtained by the group, which allegedly exposed misconduct by officials who failed to adhere to the Lands Acquisition and Compensation Act. “We’ve been patient, but this situation is intolerable. We give the government until June 15 to resolve this, or they must be ready to face us all,” he warned.
Among the victims, Kaddy Cham, a single mother of seven, shared a heart-wrenching account of losing her home to demolition. Cham said her father had allocated her the land from the family’s inheritance, which she developed through years of labor selling beverages. “I never received any notice from Physical Planning before they erased my building to the ground,” she said, tearfully describing the devastation that left her homeless. “All the money I worked for over four painful years is gone. I’m a single mother with no one to help me.”
Cham appealed for government intervention, emphasizing the collective toll of the demolitions. “These structures cost millions. Most of us have spent everything to build, and now we’re homeless in our own country. We’re calling on the government to act before it’s too late,” she urged.
The accusations and emotional testimonies underscore a deepening land dispute, with the Kenebaring Kabilo and victims demanding accountability and restitution for what they describe as a systemic injustice at Salagi Layout Proper. The government has yet to respond publicly to the allegations as tensions continue to rise.
