A group of teenagers brazenly robbed Lamin Camara, a former Gambian diplomat and senior civil servant, in a shocking daytime attack near the Serrekunda West mini stadium in the Westfield area of Kanifing on January 14.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. as Camara was driving along the road opposite Saint Theresa’s. According to his account, students emerging from a nearby institution suddenly blocked his path. One teenager darted in front of his vehicle, forcing him to stop. Another youth then yanked open the driver’s door, struck Camara on the chest, and snatched cash from inside the car.
Moments later, additional assailants swarmed the vehicle, grabbing Camara’s phones, bags, and other personal items. As Camara exited the car to confront them, a motorbike rider nearby shouted that the boys were stealing his belongings and pursued them into the stadium grounds. Camara joined the chase, and with assistance from officers of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU), they apprehended the primary attacker. The remaining suspects were later captured.
Police investigations revealed that the perpetrators—all teenagers, with the oldest aged 18—hail from a single street in the Dippa Kunda neighborhood. The case is now under active police investigation.
Camara, who recently faced compulsory retirement from his diplomatic post as Deputy Head of Mission at the Gambian Embassy in Bissau amid reported internal disputes, described the robbery as part of an alarming surge in street crimes. He pointed to a recent similar incident in Brusubi and called for heightened security presence in communities and greater vigilance among commuters and residents.
The attack has raised fresh concerns about youth involvement in petty crime and public safety in busy urban areas like Kanifing and Serrekunda. Authorities have not yet released further details on charges or potential court proceedings.
