Abdoulie Sanyang, the minister of interior, has rejected claims of a rise in crime rate in The Gambia, saying that the country has the lowest number of crimes compared to other West African states. His remarks however sparked counter-reactions on social media among Gambians.

“In terms of crime rate, The Gambia’s crime rate is the lowest in the sub-region,” he said.

“Perhaps it is the social media [that makes] people think crime is very high in the Gambia but as far as our records are concerned in West Africa we have the lowest crime rate.”

However, Gambians have expressed concerns about rising crime cases. Between 2022 and 2025, the country has seen a sharp rise in crimes including murder, homicide, gender-based violence, theft and drug-related offenses. At least 39 murder cases were registered in between the period.

By Adama Makasuba