Gambia’s former police anti-crime boss Gorgi L Mboob has died at the age of 52 after battling a long illness. 

Mboob passed away today (13 December) at his Ebo Town residence.

The police chief was well known for his crackdown on crime and for leading the Anti-crime Unit which was setup in 2018 to deal with violent crimes. 

His firmness in tackling crime in the country had earned him admiration and enmity. 

But his career suffered a blow when he was accused of assaulting one Ebrima Sanneh, a detainee, with a hoe on his private part.

He was suspended after the incident. A government investigation panel which included members of the National Human Rights Commission, TANGO, Ministry of Interior and Gambia Bar Association found Mboob guilty of assaulting and subjecting the detainee to degrading punishment and recommended disciplinary measures against him which saw him deploy to Farafenni as police commissioner.

However, he was later recalled to serve as the commander of the police anti-crime unit for the second time following a surge in crime. 

He was again replaced by superintendent Momodou Sowe, who was overseeing the unit since last October.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba