The Gambian Public Prosecutor on Tuesday confirmed a request to the Inspector General of Police to open a case file for Omar Badjie, a 27-year-old man who died as a result of police brutality in Mandinari in September 2025.
This request paves the way for potential criminal proceedings against the officers fingered in Badjie’s death.
The Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Justice of confirmed, in a statement receipt of
the judicial inquiry report concerning the alleged homicide and formally requested the IGP to transmit the complete case file for a thorough legal review.
The investigating magistrate concluded that Omar Badjie died from an acute brain injury resulting from physical exertion, stress, and assault by police officers during a chase in the village of Mandinari, in the West Coast region of The Gambia, on September 26, 2025.
The judicial inquiry, led by Senior Magistrate Anna O. Mendy, heard from twelve witnesses, reviewed an autopsy report, and conducted a site visit.
A death that sparked outrage
Omar Badjie’s death occurred during a police operation in Mandinari targeting young people suspected of smoking cannabis. Gambian police initially claimed that the deceased had collapsed during a chase before being taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses, however, claimed that the officers had apprehended him and subjected him to physical violence, including striking him with a tree branch while he was handcuffed and unconscious.
Four officers directly involved in the pursuit were arrested on September 28, 2025, and detained pending the judicial inquiry.
The death sparked large-scale protests in Mandinari, resulting in the ransacking of a police station and several injuries, both among civilians and law enforcers.
Are criminal charges imminent?
The judicial inquiry report recommended that the case be referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for possible criminal proceedings against the officers involved. Chief Justice
Hassan B. Jallow, after reviewing the proceedings under Section 10 of the Coroners Act, stated that he was satisfied with the regularity and legality of the findings.
In its statement, the Ministry of Justice indicated that the investigating magistrate’s recommendations “will be rigorously examined” and that “when the evidence warrants it, appropriate legal measures will be taken without reservation.”
The day before, young people from Lamin Mandinari had given the government and police five days to respond to the findings of the judicial inquiry, denouncing the authorities’ silence since the
report’s publication.
The prosecutor’s statement thus comes directly in response to this community pressure.
AC/Sf/fss/as/APA