Following the conclusion of the case of the State versus Yankuba Badjie, the government of the Gambia has announced the official burial of the remains of Solo Sandeng today.

The funeral will commence with a procession from the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Mortuary to the Never Again Arch, formerly the 22nd July Arch where a tribute service will be held in his honour. Religious rites will take place thereafter at the Dippa Kunda Central Mosque followed by final interment at the Dippa Kunda cemetery.

Solo Sandeng led a peaceful protest for electoral reforms in April 2016 and was arrested but died in detention after his arrest by agents of the defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

His remains were exhumed in March 2017. Saikou Omar Jeng, the director of Operations at the NIA led the police to Solo’s grave at Tanjji village in the West Coast Region.

On Wednesday 12th of July 2022, Honorable Justice Kumba Sillah Camara, Justice of the Court of Appeal presided over and read out a judgment sentencing to death the former NIA officers who participated in the gruesome killing of Ebrima Solo Sandeng, in April 2016.

A senior United Democratic Party (UDP) militant and an alleged victim of former President Yahya Jammeh’s regime Nogoye Njie, in testimony before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission said the directives to torture Mr Sandeng was given by the NIA former operation commander Sheikh Omar Jeng to Tamba Mansirreh, Haruna Suso and others which resulted in his death.

Mr Sandeng, then UDP youth leader was arrested and detained alongside Nogoye herself and Fatoumatta Jawara following an April 2016 electoral reform protest by members of the United Democratic Party. He later died in custody. Sandeng died after being tortured by the NIA and two other party members also died in custody later as established by the party.