At least 16 people who were arrested on Tuesday in Sukuta-Salaji land dispute have been released on bail.

One of those released on bail is journalist and activist Fatou Jaw Manneh.

They are alledged to have illegally demolished homes in the settlement they claimed to have been reserved for Sukuta.

The protesters were booked at the Brusubi police station after police charged them with illegal demolition.

But eyewitnesses said police threw teargas at protesters during the dispute in order to disperse them.

ASP Lamin Njie, police spokesman told Gambiana “the youth will be tried under a provisional charge of illegal demolition.”

According to ASP Njie, police were ordered by a court to bar the youth from destroying houses on the disputed land and said “we must abide by regional right-of-passage laws.”

ASP Njie explained:”this resulted in a tussle between the youths and the police in which the police decided to fire teargas to disperse the angry mob.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba