The testimony of former NIA Director General Bo Badji illustrates the paradoxes of the defunct dreadful spy Agency where some of the security operatives themselves were victimized, traumatized, tortured and agonized at the very institution they perpetrated gruesome human rights violations against numerous victims.
Though Mr. Badji has clearly distanced himself from the tortures meted out to the NIA detainees, by drawing a line between administrative and operational duties, it's inconceivable that Bo was unaware of the torture sessions at the Agency that was directly answerable to the former tyrant who sadistically took pleasure in tormenting his real or perceived opponents. Bo has also claimed that he took over the stewardship of NIA to clean up the institution but admitted failure to achieve that goal.
Bo was later arrested and consequently taken to the NIA in 2009 where he was mercilessly tortured in an attempt to link him to an alleged coup and to implicate former CDS Lang Tombong Tamba, hence becoming a victim of the institution he once headed.
I have mixed feelings about Bo. On one hand, I feel deeply bad for the torment and anguish he endured at the hands of the regime he served. On the other hand, I consider him as a victimizer on whose watch countless victims were dragged to the NIA, tortured and anguished.
Having said that the moral lesson here is that as Gambians, we must ensure that our country does not pivot back to tyranny, lawlessness and impunity. No Gambian should ever be subjected to torture or any form of maltreatment.
Editors Note:
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