By Yero S. Bah
Located in a bushy and swampy neighborhood, the Banjul settlement of Tobacco Road appeared to be among the most neglected area in the capital city Banjul. Occupied by slum-like homes and houses coupled with inadequate and poorly managed state infrastructures, the neighborhood is highly prone to not only the invasion of wild animals such as crocodiles but inundations from rain water and the Atlantic Ocean, which is a stone’s throw from residential homes.
In recent times, alarm bells were sounded regarding the presence of the wild crocodiles in the neighborhood causing panic amongst residents, especially parents whose children frequent the said vicinity.
Mr. Kalilu Kassama, a resident of Tobacco Road, said that crocodiles are frequently spotted at the canal that runs through the neighborhoods and empties its waters to the Bond Road riverside from the main city center Banjul.
“I have seen crocodiles here several times during the day and even at night,” he revealed. Kassama observed that whenever the sun becomes hot, the crocodiles would come out in the open to bask on the green grasses. He told Mansa Banko Online that, usually the children of the area do chase these semi-aquatic carnivorous animals whenever they come out from the waters for sunbath. He expressed concern over the safety of their children, saying they are in constant fear and alert.
The Tobacco resident again: “We are always on the alert due to the presence of these crocodiles. The authorities should relocate these wild animals to safer area so as to protect the residents of Tobacco Road, especially the children who usually, during dry season, play football in that area.”
Kassama posited that a tall wall could be erected on both sides of the canal to prevent the crocodiles from invading the nearby homes if the crocodiles cannot be relocated to another place.
“Sometimes, we would like to kill them, but if you do {that} wildlife will take you to court and we are not safe here with these animals {large reptiles},” he lamented. Some children also acknowledged seeing these crocodiles several times and on different occasions, especially in the middle of the day. These kids who spoke to this medium, disclosed that they throw stones to these crocodiles whenever they see them out on the grass from the waters of the canal.
“We really pelt them with stones sometimes to bring them further out of the waters. It serves as bait for them to come out,” some minors explained.
Madam Oumie Jaw, a woman in her 70s, who has lived in the neighborhood for over three decades, also confirmed the existence of the crocodiles. She pinpointed that these wild animals are present in the said vicinity for years but their numbers had increased exponentially, this year.
Jaw went on: “I once found a crocodile lying at my water-tap when I was preparing to perform ablution for the early morning prayers. I was even alerted by my eldest son that there is a crocodile at the tap. We had to chase it by pelting it with stones until it returned back to the canal.”
The old woman called on the authorities to carry out a relocation plan for the crocodiles, maintaining that they should be removed from that vicinity for the safety of the residents.
Mrs. Isatou Ceesay, a childbearing young woman has lived in Tobacco Road for over 10 years. She had never seen any crocodile there, even though she has heard residents talking about the presence of the said wild animals. Ceesay stressed that, it’s worrying for them as mothers since their kids are always around the said neighborhood, because it serves as their playing ground.
“We are worried whenever we hear about these crocodiles. I think government should do something to clear the area and to even relocate these crocodiles to another place for our safety,” she suggested.
For many residents of Tobacco Road, it’s simply not safe for the community, as they maintained that the relevant authorities should immediately do something about it.
The Principal of Garba Jahumpa Upper Basic School, Mr. Mendy told Mansa Banko that, he heard the story of the crocodiles just as any other person. He made it clear that he had never seen any living crocodile in that area.
The school head, however, underlined that if indeed, the crocodiles are present in that neighborhood, he would like to see something being done about them since his students are prone to that danger more than any other students in that area.
