PHOTO: Single barrel shot gun and other weapons being used by criminals
By Emmanuel Mafelah,mafalahemmanuel129@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- As criminal activities continue to increase in Gbarnga and its immediate environs, police have cautioned residents to avoid walking in the streets at night, since Gbarnga has no electricity and is prone to criminal activities at night.
The LNP Bong County Detachment call comes as a result of recent wave of armed robberies in the County especially the one on Monday, October 14, 2019. In that incident on the Gbarnga-Ganta highway near the Nee-a-laa Guesthouse, a man identified as Sekou Swaray, age 30 of the A. A. K Gas Station was shot and killed with a single barrel shot gun around 6:45pm.
The alleged robbers made away with 11, 000 Liberian dollars from the victims.
In an interview with www.newspublictrust.com, on Thursday, October 17 in Gbarnga, LNP Bong County Detachment Superintendent, Fredrick Nappy said they have arrested two persons in connection to the crime.
The two individuals arrested include Jackson Sulonkolo and Jonathan Hills both Gbarnga Lelekpayea and five East communities.
According to Nappy, the two suspects are currently behind bars at the Gbarnga Central Police Station awaiting charges and be forwarded to Court for prosecution.
Victim Swaray has meanwhile been buried in keeping with his Islamic religious belief.
Nappy added: “We are again calling on our citizens of the county to stay away from the streets after 7:00pm because will be going after these criminals..
“In order for the county to be safer for everyone in the county we all will have to work together in line with this mandate for the common good of mama Liberia,” the local police commander added.
A resident of the Gbarnga-Ganta highway said: “Armed robbery is the latest menace in Gbarnga and we the residents are uncertain about the direction in which our lives are going, as ordinary people. In recent days, there has been an increase in armed break-ins at private homes.”
“The armed robbery activities were well-coordinated, this is why the robbers escaped the crime scene without any of them being caught,” the local revealed.
The armed robbers are said to have ordered everybody on the floor; threatening to kill any of their victims, if they should attempt to fight back.
When contacted, the Bong County Attorney, Jonathan N. Flomo expressed regrets over the loss of the Sekou Swaray and said the perpetrators will be brought to Justice in order to serve as deterrent to others.
Attorney Flomo is meanwhile calling on citizens of the county to desist from the acts of violence, something he said don’t offer well for the county.
Some of the residents in Bong County have attributed the rise in criminal activities to the high rate of unemployment both in urban and rural parts of the county.