A video of a man brandishing a knife at small children—particularly a young girl—was posted on social media on December 26 and was seen by the police unit in Senegal that deals with cybercrime. The police later identified the location of the video shoot in Ouest-Foire in a “Daara” called “Tafsirztoul Amann,” which belonged to a man by the name of Aboubacar Thiam.

Upon arriving at the scene, the suspect carrying the knife in the video was identified as Sulaiman Cham, a Gambian who was born in Kombo Kerewan. Sulaiman Cham stated that he was “frightening the young girl who spent her time playing instead of concentrating on mastering the incantations,”.

He went on to swear that his Quranic school forbade physical abuse of any kind, much less the use of a knife. Cham expressed regret and said he had never employed such tactics.

The owner of “Daara,” Aboubacar Thiam, claimed that as soon as he learned about the viral video, he called the gendarmerie. He clarified that in November 2023, he hired Mr. Cham to oversee students, including his own son.

Aboubacar Thiam however acknowledged not having any official paperwork in relation with his daara’s opening requirements, but he also said he had taken the required actions to formalize his Franco-Arab boarding school.

Interestingly, all of the parents of the kids in the video assured that Aboubacar Thiam would remain their child’s boarding provider because of the excellent conditions. They characterized the video occurrence as scarcely fitting the reputation of the “Daara.”

It should be mentioned that Souleymane Cham, who was taken into police custody the same day, had shown the kitchen knife, which was discovered during the search conducted on the property.