The Open Gambia Platform has received information from multiple contacts within State House suggesting that Abou Jeng is on the verge of being removed from office, following a severe fallout with President Barrow over what are described as repeated acts of incompetence that resulted in significant national security lapses.
Among the most troubling incidents cited is the discovery that Chinese and other foreign cybercriminals were lodging at Mr Jeng’s private residence, which he was reportedly renting out. This incident, sources say, significantly eroded President Barrow’s trust and confidence in the NSA, given the sensitivity of his position.
According to a principal State House source, the incident that ultimately pushed President Barrow toward deciding on Mr Jeng’s removal was the mishandling of the police shooting on 12 September 2023 at the Sukuta Traffic Light Junction. That tragic incident resulted in the killing of two Police Intervention Unit (PIU) officers, Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez, and the severe wounding of a female officer, Nancy Jawo. The case led to the arrest and trial of Ousainou Bojang as the sole accused, with his elder sister, Amie Bojang, charged with aiding his alleged escape from arrest.
Our source explained that President Barrow is now prepared to “throw Mr Jeng under the bus” for the widely viewed disastrous handling of the case. This outcome has badly discredited the Barrow administration. Law enforcement agencies were accused of misleading the public during press briefings, resulting in a complete erosion of public trust and confidence in the government.
After nearly two years, the administration has failed to present credible evidence or witnesses in the High Court proceedings. Matters were further worsened by the reliance on Mama Jabbie as the principal witness, a figure with close personal ties to President Barrow’s family, who controversially received a one-million-dalasi reward despite serious questions about her credibility.
Additional trusted contacts at the Ministry of Defence have confirmed plans to remove Mr Jeng as head of the NSA Bureau and redeploy him as an adviser to the Director General of the State Intelligence Services (SIS). This position, sources say, was secured through his close friendship with the SIS Director General, Ousman Sowe.
Meanwhile, President Barrow is reportedly considering replacing Mr Jeng with former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Ousman Badjie. General Badjie retired from the Gambia Armed Forces and was later posted as Military Attaché to The Gambia’s Embassy in China following the political impasse and the advent of the coalition government. He has since returned from China. In a related move, retired Colonel Omar B. Bojang, the outgoing Deputy National Security Adviser, has been appointed as the new Defence Attaché at the Gambian Embassy in China.
A Defence Ministry source further revealed that President Barrow is still weighing whether to appoint former General Badjie as head of the NSA Bureau or to assign him the role of Deputy National Security Adviser. This would effectively replace Colonel Bojang at the embassy in China and potentially pave the way for the promotion of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr Landing Kinteh.
Mr Kinteh resigned following the Farabantang incident and was later appointed Deputy Ambassador to The Gambia’s Embassy in Turkey, before leaving to work with the United Nations. He has since returned and is currently serving within the NSA Bureau. Our sources describe Mr Kinteh as a frontrunner for the top NSA position. However, political considerations continue to shape the President’s final decision on whether to appoint him or General Badjie.
Open Gambia has had this foundational information for the past four weeks and has been working to verify its accuracy. This includes developments reported last week regarding the redeployment of former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, Modou K. Ceesay, a close ally of Mr Jeng. Mr Jeng is alleged to have acted as a “ghost administrator” for Mr Ceesay by drafting official correspondence and reports on his behalf.
Some officials at State House view the possible removal of Mr Jeng as directly linked to his close association with Modou K. Ceesay and his deteriorating relationship with President Barrow.
Will this publication influence President Barrow’s decision, or merely delay an outcome that appears increasingly inevitable?
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