Imam Baba M. Leigh
CommissionerAn Islamic cleric, scholar and human rights activist, Commissioner Imam Baba Leigh, started his career as a teacher and later assumed the role of Imam at the Kanifing Estate Mosque.
His diverse skillset include training as an engineer. Commissioner Leigh also served as a member of the hajj and umrah Commission until the early 2000s. He was among the founding members of GAMCOTRAP, a human rights organisation fighting against harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Imam Leigh’s staunch support for the rights of the ordinary people and his outspokenness during the regime of former dictatorial President Yahya Jammeh landed him in prison where he suffered severe torture. Commissioner Leigh lived in exile in the United States of America and returned home in 2017 after the regime change. He continues to advocate for the rights of the underprivileged, the minority and the oppressed.
