Thousands of mourners, including journalists, yesterday paid their last respect to their fallen colleague, relative and friend, Mr. Baboucarr Gaye, who passed away on Tuesday at the Medical Research Council in Fajara.

Aged 56, the late Gaye was laid to rest at the Old Jeshwang cemetery barely 24 hours after his demise. 

Widely acclaimed as dedicated to his journalistic duty, in addition to being an honest gentleman, Mr. Gaye’s departure, according to speaker after speaker, will undoubtedly create a vacuum that will be difficult to fill.

The Imam Ratib of Banjul, Alhaji Cherno Mass Kah, who led the congregation at the Independence Drive Mosque, hailed the late Mr. Gaye as a true Muslim who believed in the dignity of labour.

Also addressing the congregation, Imam Muntaha Faye reminded the congregation of the significant strides the late Mr. Gaye made in the propagation of Islam. He recalled that the deceased had, in his drive to promote Islam, introduced Islamic programmes at his now closed Citizen FM Radio.

He said he was one of those Islamic scholars who were given the opportunity to propagate Islam through the FM station. 

A renowned historian, Alhaji Sait Camara, took the congregation on a memory lane. He told the gathering that the late Mr. Gaye’s father, Momodou Bamba Gaye, has made an immense and outstanding contribution to the promotion of Islamic religion in the Senegambia sub-region.  Also speaking on the occasion, Mr. Swaebou Conateh, Proprietor and Publisher of the Dippa Kunda-based News & Report magazine, said Mr. Gaye had relentlessly strove throughout his life for the promotion of press freedom in The Gambia, despite the closure of his radio station.

Mr. Conateh, a veteran journalist himself, finally prayed for the departed soul to rest in perfect peace and eternal bliss.