As the killing rate continues to surge in the country, Gambians have called on the government to lift its moratorium on the death penalty. They claimed that lifting it would address the high murder rate in the Gambia. 

President Adama Barrow suspended the death penalty in 2018 in a step towards abolishing it. The capital punishment has now been commuted to life in prison.

However, the country has seen a rise in violent crimes and homicide since the death penalty was suspended. 

Speaking to Gambiana in the streets of Serekunda, Matarr Badjie, believed the only way to end killings in the country is bringing back the death penalty. 

“Let them bring back the death penalty to stop the killings. Anyone who kills should be killed in order to stop these deliberate killings. Once the death penalty is brought back, no one will kill someone because people will know that ‘if I kill, I will be killed.”

Alieu Njie added: “The law should set an example by ensuring that if anyone kills, he should also be killed.”

“Anyone who kills should be killed because our security is not well equipped to ensure absolute security in the country now compared to security under the past government,” he said. 

However, Yusuf Sonko urged parents to discipline their kids as he insisted that the rate of crimes and killings in the country are as a result of indiscipline and lack of ambition among young people to work and better themselves. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba