He was considered a dictator by his critics, but Yahya Jammeh was also a philanthropist who quietly helped hundreds of school children from low-income families.

The former president, who now lives in Equatorial Guinea after losing the 2016 presidential election, gave millions of Dalasi to hundreds of school children who were living in poverty, according former Chief of Protocol, Sanna Jarju.

He made the revelation while appearing before the Commission of Inquiry last week via a video link from his current base in the USA.

Answering questions about what he knew about Jammeh’s financial activities during his presidency, Sanna said the former president used to give money to directors at the regional education offices to buy uniforms and shoes for children.

He further disclosed that many schools across the country also received donations from Jammeh to organise parties for their students.

Sanna was one of the former president's most trusted aides. But they later fell out and he fled to the USA.