PHOTO: Zwedru Police station set ablaze on Tuesday by angry mob
Just weeks ago, it was an unleashing of mob violence in Maryland and Nimba Counties, now it is the turn of Grand Gedeh County in the southeast of Liberia.
In the latest act of mob violence/mob justice on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, there was death and the burning down of a police station in the city of Zwedru, but latest reports from the area Wednesday morning say calm is returning to this city.
The issue to burning public facilities is becoming a common practice and a way of solving problem in Liberia by Motorcyclists after donors and other international partners had invested millions in some of those public facilities. Weeks ago in Harper city there was vandalizing of the Harper Central prison as well as arson attack on the home of House Speaker Bohfal Chambers in Pleebo and recently there was riot and burning of a major warehouse in Ganta, Nimba County as a result of land dispute.
Reports on Tuesday said a man believed to be in his early 30s identified as Abraham Flaka was confirmed dead health authorities at the Martha Tubman memorial hospital.
According to the reports, the deceased and a Fulani only known as Amadu had a misunderstanding in April of this year, which surrounds ten Liberians dollars change that resulted into serious argument that led to a fist fight between the both of them.
A report said the deceased Flaka was a correction palace officer assigned at the Palace of correction in Grand Gedeh County, who went to purchase water from Amadu sometime last month.
Accordingly, the deceased allegedly gave him (Amadu) one hundred Liberian dollars after he collected three bags of water which cost thirty Liberian dollars and was expecting his seventy Liberian dollars change in return, but Amadu denied receiving one hundred Liberian dollars from him, instead of 20 Liberian dollars.
That is said to have resulted into both of them going into a serious fight which led Flaka being hospitalized for some days.
But prior to his death, he was reported to have suffered internal bleeding and he was a Correction Officer, but was engaged into petty trade whenever he is off duty.
The death of Flaka raised serious concern in street corners in Zwedru that led to the immediate closure of businesses and parents of school going kids were running on the various campuses to get their kids.
The headquarters of the Liberia National Police was set ablaze after the cyclists president Wilson Nenneh collided with a police vehicle who heading the same direction where the road block and violent was taking place.
Following hitting of the Motorcyclist president, angry citizens dominated Cyclists forcibly ran to the headquarters of the Liberian National Police and set it ablaze along with the police commander assigned motorbike and currently the cyclists president Nenneh is on critical list at the Martha Tubman Memorial Hospital owned and operated by government.
The situation later took on a different trend one report said—Fula vs local and even religious flavor. Muslim/Fula-owned shops and mosques were being targeted, but riot police and AFL soldiers moved in to bring the situation under control. Report by Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
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