The Gambia’s first Rasta politician Bankole Adjazie, commonly known as Banky, has accused the police of targeting his supporters for arrest and harassment. 

Banky, who is pro-cannabis and wants to legalise the drug in the country, alleged that one of his supporters, Nfamara Sillah, was arrested at Bakau beach in a targeted stop-and-search campaign by the police, according to The Standard. 

“Nfamara was picked up in the early hours of Sunday morning by five drug law enforcement officers and nine PIU officers from the Bakau beach site where he has a small business that he operates. 

“He used to spend the night there to protect it from robbers. They took him to Senegambia where he was interrogated and on Monday, they moved him to Sukuta CTI where he is till being held and treated like an offender when he is only a suspect who was planted with the drug,” Banky told The Standard.

The presidential hopeful, who believed he could win this year’s presidential election with his pro-change movement Watosita, said the police harassment is “politically motivated”. 

Banky said the police were only asking the suspect questions relating to the Watosita movement.

“I cannot understand why after five years of Yahya Jammeh’s fall they are still using the same laws he was using to silence his opponents. I want to advise my supporters to be cautious because it seems they are trying to provoke us.”

Police confirmed the arrest of Nfamara Sillah but refused to comment as the investigation is still ongoing.