PHOTO: Home that was torched over the weekend
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia- Mob violence or mob justice has again taken center stage, this time in the southern port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County situated 92 miles from Monrovia.
This is the latest in a wave of mob violence incidents seen in the capital, Monrovia and other parts of the country, with homes, vehicles, police stations being set ablaze by angry mob in recent times.
The joint security forces in Buchanan over the weekend arrested and placed in custody several commercial motorcyclists allegedly linked to the burning to ashes of a three-bedroom house with a provision shop along with a vehicle valued at about US$4,500.00.to ashes.
Family sources also confirmed to this www.newspublictrust.com Reporter that about $16000USD with 250,000 Liberian dollars got burnt to ashes in the building.
Apart from the house, the angry motorcyclists also burnt down ghettos and flogged several alleged drug users who were said to have been found in those ghettos at the time.
According to reports, those linked to the crime of arson and mob violence will be charge and forwarded to court this week in Buchanan for trial.
On July 3, 2021, scores of angry motorcyclists stormed the City of Buchanan in retaliation of one their colleagues who is said to be a motorcyclist that was allegedly stabbed several times on his body by a well-known hardcore and notorious criminal identified as Seth Koosomo, age 21 who is popularly known as “tripled two”.
Angry motorcyclists in Buchanan
The motorcyclists on Friday were in search of the criminal who allegedly stabbed one of their friends which unconfirmed news says he is dead.
According to eyewitnesses, the hardcore criminal, who was said to be a passenger on the rider’s bike requested him (motorcyclist) to give his money to him (Triple two) upon reaching the old Louisa hotel.
But the rider reportedly refused which led him to stab him in the stomach and other parts of his body and made away with the bike rider money.
The aggrieved motorcyclists’ actions reportedly resulted into setting the building ablaze, completely burning down his parents’ home and a car as part of their revenged.
Speaking to this Reporter, the ringleader of the angry mob, Victor Joe, Deputy regional Coordinator of the Federation of Motorcycle union for Grand Bassa, Rivrcess and Sinoe Counties, said the arson attacks by the motorcyclists was a call for an end to gangsterism. And he also said it is call for an end to illicit drugs users’ endless terrorizing of them (motorcyclists) with guns, cutlasses and other deadly weapons in Buchanan and its environs.
The burnt out home and vehicle
According to Mr. Joe, motorcyclists have been stabbed to death by alleged criminal gangs and severely injured others, took their money and escaped with their motorbikes allegedly without the Police prosecuting the perpetrators and neither retrieving their stolen bikes.
Mr. Victor Joe, who is former Vice President of the motorcycle union in Grand Bassa County, is among those who were arrested and placed behind bars awaiting prosecution.
“We are tired of being frustrated by criminal gangs and drugs takers who are the constant habit of stabbing and murdering people who are hustling for their daily bread, taking away their money and motorbikes. We took the complaint to the police station and the police said they would not arrest the gangster triple two. Triple two whose real name is Seth Koosomo took our friend money and stabbed him many times,” the commercial motorcycle union official said.
Mr. Joe maintained: “This criminal is in the constant habit of stabbing people and forcibly taken away their belonging without police arresting him. He has a gang group called “Kuba” that is in the deed of jumping on people stabbing them to death. We will arrest triple two and payback what he has done to our colleague. If we don’t see him, our violent action will continue until we find him because police told us that they are not equipped to arrest him in ghetto or grave yard.”
Arson attack condemned
However, Mr. Isaac Paye, the county coordinator of the Federation of motorcycle union in Grand Bassa County has condemned the violent attacks of motorcyclists over the alleged burning down of a three-bedroom house and a car belonging to the parents of the alleged ringleader of the alleged criminal gang.
He condemned the attacked and warned that his leadership will not in any way condoned any act of lawlessness.
Mr. Paye has assured citizens that perpetrators allegedly linked to the destruction of tripled two parents homes will be made to face the full weight of the law because he believes that Liberia is a country of law and not man.
At the same time, he’s pleading with commercial motorcyclists to channel their grievances through appropriate legal means, instead of taking the law into their hands.
Mr. Paye said that his leadership will not tolerate any act that has the propensity to sparked serious riots and derailed the peace and stability of Liberia.
He spoke strongly against the violent protest of motorcyclists and called on the people of Grand Bassa County to cooperate with the joint security in apprehending those in connection to the crime.
The motorcyclist official is on the other hand advising people who are involved in attacking motorcyclists and taking away their money and bikes to desist from such practices, something he described as evil.
Mr. Paye is also calling for thorough investigation into the violent incident in Buchanan over the weekend.
The alleged gangster, Tripled Two who reportedly stabbed the motorcyclist is yet to be apprehended by the police.
Superintendent Baikpeh speaks out
Meanwhile, Grand Bassa County Superintendent, Janjay Baikpeh has asked the joint security to arrest Triple Two, considered to be a high-class criminal who is known to constantly terrorize peaceful citizens in this county.
Superintendent Baikpeh wants Triple two as he popular known to be prosecuted through a court of competent jurisdictions when he is arrested by the joint security
He added that those motorcyclists who were involved in burning down the home of triple two parents will be arrested and prosecuted.
The Grand Bassa County Superintendent called on the citizens to cooperate with the joint security while they are in search of him as he (Superintendent Baikpeh) condemned the burning down of the home of triple two parents by some motorcyclists on Friday night in the new Buchanan Community.
According to Mr. Baikpeh, burning down their home is not the best way to seek justice.