Seedy Bojang, a Senior Investigator at the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP), told members of the ECOWAS Parliament that about 30 Gambians who ventured into irregular migration have been repatriated.
He made this statement on Wednesday, 7th July 2026, in Brikama, Suba Ward, during a community engagement organized by the regional parliament as part of its ongoing citizen sensitization on the dangers of irregular migration and trafficking in persons in The Gambia.
Bojang highlighted NAATIP’s close collaboration with the Immigration Department, noting that migration and trafficking are two sides of the same coin. He stressed that trafficking has had devastating effects in The Gambia and is also a global problem.
Recent Trafficking Cases
He narrated a recent incident in which a Gambian woman traveled to Liberia, deceived parents with promises of good jobs in The Gambia and took their children away.
“We rescued about 14 children who were found at construction sites. The woman took them to different sites in the morning, where they worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and then brought them back home until the following day,” he said.
He added that the woman and her husband have been arrested, while the children were taken to NAATIP and SOS Children’s Village in Bakoteh. The case will be forwarded to the Justice Ministry for prosecution.
In the past three months, NAATIP has received about 10 Gambian girls who were trafficked. He explained that a Gambian woman in Ivory Coast lures girls with promises of jobs paying D45,000 per month, but in reality, no such jobs exist.
“If indeed this salary of D45,000 a month exists, why are people from Ivory Coast coming here to The Gambia?” he asked.
Upon arrival in Ivory Coast, trafficked girls are asked to pay money before being given jobs, with payments made in full before their departure from The Gambia.
Bojang further revealed that Gambian girls have also been trafficked to Lebanon and Oman. Over the past few years, NAATIP has repatriated at least 30 victims who left The Gambia due to false promises of jobs with salaries of US$200–300 per month.
He recounted a tragic case involving a Gambian girl who was promised a hotel manager position in Dubai with a monthly salary of US$1,000. Upon arrival, she was taken for a medical check-up, injected into unconsciousness, and had one of her kidneys removed. She later returned to The Gambia but died while struggling to recover.
He urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to NAATIP or the authorities.
Survivor’s Testimony
Meanwhile, Alagie Kanteh, a survivor of irregular migration, shared the misery he endured during his journey. He described being subjected to severe beatings and humiliation, including being stripped of his clothes.
Due to the beatings on his feet, he lost hope of ever marrying, while one of his colleagues died from the brutality.
“I was sent to prison for one year and six months. I ate once a day and never saw sunlight during that period,” he said.
He explained that after his release, he attempted another journey. At one point, migrants were forced to strip naked. When a boy resisted, saying he could not bear to see his mother naked, both he and his mother were stripped and shot dead.
Community Response
The Brikama community commended the ECOWAS Parliament for the engagement, describing it as crucial in raising awareness among youths about the dangers of irregular migration. They called for continuity in such initiatives to help mitigate trafficking and irregular migration in The Gambia and across ECOWAS member states.
