A ‘gele gele’ driver was reportedly shot at a military checkpoint in Kanilai on Sunday for allegedly refusing to stop his vehicle for inspection.

The driver, Ismaila Tamba, was said to have sustained gunshot wounds and was taken to Bwiam Hospital before being transferred to the Edward Francis Small Hospital in Banjul.

Tamba is a native of Kanilai and a former soldier of the Gambia Armed Forces.

A spokesman for the Gambia Armed Forces, Major Lamin Sanyang, confirmed that a man was shot at a military checkpoint in Kanilai on Sunday.

“I can confirm that there was a shooting incident but we are also not clear as to what really happened. At the moment we are investigating the matter,” said Major Sanyang.

An eyewitness said the driver was shot at following an altercation with a guard manning a checkpoint in Kanilai.   

Another eyewitness said that he was previously warned not to ignore the checkpoint and should stop for inspection by the guards.

“He does that endlessly. He will just drive his vehicle through the checkpoint to the other side and then back again to the other side through the checkpoint. It’s like a pattern.

“The officer on duty this time stopped him and there was an altercation and he wanted to drive off. The officer then opened fire on him,” said the eyewitness.