Askanwi Exposé: Names and Nationality of 105 Prisoners Pardoned by President Adama Barrow

Nationalities and Gender of 105 Prisoners Pardoned by President Adama Barrow © Askanwi Media

By Askanwi Media

When President Adama Barrow pardoned 105 prisoners to mark the occasion of Yawm al-Ashura, the public was informed only of the total number released. Their identities, nationalities, ages, and offences remained unknown, prompting questions about transparency and public safety.

During the Gambia Police Force press briefing on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, an Askanwi reporter asked Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay when the names of the pardoned prisoners would be made public. The Minister responded that the information had already been published in the official Gazette and advised the reporter to obtain a copy from the Gambia Printing Press.

Askanwi Reporter: "Recently we have seen that the President has pardoned over 100 criminals without disclosing their names, so when will their names be disclosed?"

Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay: "Of course, it is disclosed. It is Gazetted. By law, all pardoned criminals' names are Gazetted in the public Gazette. Go there. Go to the public Gazette, and you'll find their names there and the nature of their crimes."

After obtaining the Gazette from the Gambia Printing Press, Askanwi can confirm that the names, ages, and nationalities of the 105 pardoned prisoners have indeed been published. However, contrary to Dr. Ceesay's statement, the Gazette does not disclose the offences for which the prisoners were convicted.

The omission is significant because the identities of those pardoned have been the subject of public concern for years, particularly amid questions over whether individuals convicted of serious offences have benefited from presidential clemency.

Of the 105 prisoners pardoned by President Barrow, only two are women: Anna Sanneh, aged 24, and Ya Fatou Johnson, aged 39, both Gambian nationals. Women therefore account for just 1.9% of those granted clemency. The average age of the pardoned prisoners is slightly above 26 years, indicating that the vast majority are young people.

Questions surrounding the composition of presidential pardon lists are not new. In previous years, critics have highlighted both the small number of women included and the possibility that individuals convicted of serious sexual offences were among those released.

One of the most controversial cases came in 2018 when President Barrow pardoned Svein Age Sandaker, a convicted Norwegian serial child sex offender serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing six children in The Gambia.

The issue resurfaced in January 2024 when the Child Protection Alliance warned that four convicted child sex offenders had been included in a presidential pardon. Those named were Ousman Baldeh, Momodou Camara, Yankuba Njie, and Nfamara Mballow, all of whom had been convicted of rape-related offences against children.

Because the current Gazette does not specify the offences committed by each pardoned prisoner, Askanwi Media cannot independently determine whether any individuals convicted of rape, child sexual abuse, murder, or manslaughter were included in this year's pardon list. However, a source familiar with the presidential pardon process told Askanwi that none of the 105 prisoners pardoned this year were convicted of those offences.

Gender Breakdown and Average Age

The youngest prisoner pardoned is Ousainou Fatty, aged 14, followed by Bolong Bojang, aged 17. Both are Gambian nationals and are the only two adolescents under the age of 18 included on the list.

At the other end of the age spectrum, the oldest prisoners pardoned are Ouman Bah, aged 52, and John Peter Ozioma, aged 47, both Gambian nationals.

Nationality data also reveals that presidential pardons overwhelmingly benefited Gambian citizens. Gambians account for 77% of all prisoners released, while Senegalese nationals make up 12%. Guinea-Conakry and Nigeria each account for four prisoners—almost 4% apiece—followed by three Sierra Leonean nationals and one Brazilian, bringing the total number of pardoned prisoners to 105.

Nationalities and Gender of 105 Pardoned by President Barrow © Askanwi Media

The Gazette provides an unprecedented look at who benefited from this year's presidential clemency. Yet by omitting the offences for which the prisoners were convicted, it leaves unanswered one of the central questions raised whenever presidential pardons are announced: who exactly has been released, and for what crimes?

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THE GAMBIA GAZETTE PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

No. 37 Banjul, 26th June, 2026/ Vol. 143

G. N. No. 119/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT OF GAZETTE SUPPLEMENT PROCLAMATION

BY HIS EXCELLENCY ADAMA BARROW, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA A PROCLAMATION OF PARDON ON THE OCCASION OF YAWM AL-ASHURA

WHEREAS by section 28(1) of the constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, 1997, the president is empowered, after consulting the committee established under section 82(2) of the constitution, to grant to any person convicted of any offence a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions;

AND WHEREAS the committee established under section 82(2) of the constitution has been duly consulted in respect of each of the persons named in the schedule hereto;

AND WHEREAS the president has considered the individual circumstances of those persons and is satisfied that those circumstances warrant the grant of a free pardon in their favour;

AND WHEREAS the president desires to mark the occasion of Yawm al-Ashura. the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, by an act of clemency in keeping with the values of mercy and compassion that the occasion embodies;

NOW THEREFORE, I, ADAMA BARROW, President of the Republic of The Gambia, in exercise of power conferred on me by section 82 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia 1997, and after consulting the committee established under section 82 (2) of the said constitution, do hereby grant a free pardon to each of the persons named in the schedule hereto.

DONE AT BANJUL THIS 26TH DAY OF JUNE 2026.

H. E MR ADAMA BARROW

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA