Babucarr Sanneh, once a bodyguard to former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, has spoken publicly for the first time since being cleared of treason charges stemming from a 2017 alleged coup plot.
Sanneh, along with seven others—including Jammeh’s brother—was arrested and sentenced to nine years in prison by a military court. They were accused of planning to overthrow President Adama Barrow’s newly elected government. The group was said to have formed a WhatsApp group to coordinate their plans.
However, in 2020, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction. The judges unanimously ruled that the treason charges were unfounded and ordered their immediate release.
In a recent interview, Sanneh, a trained commando, described his ordeal as unjust, saying he was falsely accused and detained based on fabricated claims made by others seeking favor with the new administration.
He recalled that his arrest began with a sudden call from a military officer summoning him to Fajara Barracks. Upon arrival, he was told to hand over his phone and was informed he was under arrest. “They said I was part of a group trying to overthrow the president,” Sanneh explained.
He described being interrogated, accused, and taken to the National Intelligence Agency multiple times, where he was pressured to confess—something he refused to do. He believes the case was driven by political motives and internal military rivalries.
Sanneh said he spent five months in incommunicado detention before facing trial. He and the others were then remanded to Mile Two Prison, where he endured what he called unbearable conditions.
Reflecting on the experience, Sanneh thanked a parliamentarian from Foñi Kansala for supporting them through the trial and appeal process. He now sees his story as part of a broader struggle many Gambians have faced during and after the Jammeh era—caught between shifting political powers and systems of justice that often fall short.
