Gambians have asked the government to wage war against violent crimes amid growing cases of robberies and thefts.

Mariama Touray, a resident of Talinding said she was nearly robbed in the early hours of the morning on her way to the mosque. 

“I was threatened by a masked man while I was going to the Mosque for the Fajr prayer. 

“The masked man was threatening to attack me and I have nothing with me at this point.

“It was a prayer to God which made me escaped when another man came out of his house which led to the masked man running away.” 

She added that in Talinding people get robbed in broad daylight. 

“Now small boys are robbing everything from you or will even killed you if you resist them. How can you not feel safe in your own country?”

She called on the government to help mitigate such issues affecting the society, and to protect women particularly those that have to leave their houses at 4am to either go to work or the mosque. 

She said the country is becoming lawless and that security needs to be strengthened.

Mariama Dibba, resident of Coastal Road, told Gambiana : “I feel unsafe now when I am going for my business at the Serekunda market where I now reach the market after 8am to 9am, because no matter how much I love money I still love my life.”

Fatou Kambai, a vegetable at Serekunda market, added: “an old woman waking up in the early hours to provide something for her family, then you attack the person stab her with a knife or take away all her money that’s not nice,”

Boto Fatty said the government should get tougher with the criminals as the rise in violent crimes “is not good for the nation”.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba