PHOTO: Police ERU officer James Togba entering the courtroom on murder charge
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmai.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Within just less than a day, two Liberian civilians were gunned down by state security bullets—one from an agent of President George Weah’s EPS and the other from the national police.
Both have since been disrobed from the two forces and handed over to the Police in what is turning to be a scaring situation in Liberia where some say state security are turned into killing machine, after police charged and sent to court.
EPS Officer Who Killed A Civilian Sent To Monrovia Central Prison – News Public Trust
Now, another Police officer from the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), James S. Togba, age 39 appeared in court today, Thursday, July 7, 2022 for allegedly murdering a resident of the Popo Beach Point Four area in the Bushrod Island suburb of Monrovia.
Officer Togba was in violation of Chapter 14 section 14.1 and Chapter 14.20 of the revised penal code of the Republic of Liberia.
Defendant Togba was charged with Murder and Aggravated Assault “for purposely, knowingly intentionally killing victim Orlando Broh and causing serious bodily injury on the person of the surviving victim, Kendrick Karnley after he arrested and informed of his Miranda rights.”
According to the police charge sheet, on July 4,2022, during the evening hours, defendant James Togba alias Opoku has gone to the fuel oil water in New Kru Town, point four behind the Liberia Electricity Corporation power plant to solicit money from the disadvantaged youth (“Zogos”), as he usually goes, when he met fierce resistance in meeting up his demand.
In an attempt to have his demand met, he begun to damage the tent that the disadvantaged youths were sheltering under taking in their illicit drugs.
The police charge sheet added that when he realized that his action was not yielding result, he reverted to demanded all of them to leave from under the tent. But officer Togba wasted no time, took few steps behind and advanced his 9MM Smith and Wesson pistol with serial #MRA 0532, shooting directly at the disadvantage youths, thus hitting victim Olando Broh of New Kru Colonel in his chest beneath the right breast.
The victim was later pronounced dead on arrival (DOA) by medical practitioners of the John F. Kennedy’s medical hospital in Sinkor, Monrovia.
During police in-depth investigation to establish what took place at point four fuel oil water community relative to the death of the late victim, it was revealed that at about 18:45 hours, on July 4,2022, ERU officer, patrolman James S. Togbah, alias Opoku and another to be identified, surfaced. fuel oil water that is known as Zogos.
Accordingly, defendant Togba, he usually goes to the fuel oil water ghettoes and demanded for money from those Zogos and so was it on the day of the incident.
Defendant Togba went about destroying the tent where the Zogos were taking in drugs as a means of threatening them to raise money for him.
Surprisingly, the Police charge sheet said that while the Zogos were coming outside, patrolman Togba took few steps behind and immediately discharged his fire arm 9MM smith and Wesson serial #MRA-0532 resulting to the bullet hitting and subsequently killing a male Zogos called Olando Broh.
The bullet hit the victim on his finger and when patrolman Togba noticed that he shot someone, he attempted to escape the scene, according to the Police charge sheet. But he was pursed by the group of disadvantaged youths, grabbed, disarmed and beaten but through the intervention of a National Security Agency officer to be identified, rescued defendant Togba.
Defendant Togba was immediately taken to stat base Bushrod Island and was later transferred to the central police headquarters, detained pending investigation.
It was also established that defendant Togba went at point four fuel oil water community on his routine self-interest operation (SIO) otherwise referred to as snake’s patrol at which time the incident occurred.
Having known his scare tactic could no longer work on the disadvantaged youths Zogos whom he demanded money from. Under the banner of “your putting it together”, defendant got irritated and decided to exhibit extreme indifference to the value of human life by pulling his assigned pistol and discharging it directly at the victim. Thus, the victim was hit and subsequently died after bleeding profusely on July 4,2022.
For his part, defendant Togba told the professional Standard Broad and the Crime Services Department, Crime Against Person Unit (CAPU), defendant openly admitted to the shooting but said he was attacked by group of Zogos, an assertion that was later established by the investigation an alibi.
It was also established that thirty-six years old Kendrick Karnley sustained serious bodily as a result of the shooting that took away of the life of victim Olando Broh.
Investigation Findings
That victim Olando Broh posed no eminent threat to officer Togba nor any other person that warranted being shot by the herein named defendant.
That there was no confrontation or tussle between the victim and death is in fragrant violation of rule the four cardinal rules of the fire arm that clearly states be aware of your target and what is beyond your target.
Meanwhile, the ERU officer, defendant Togba has been sent to the Monrovia Central Prison to await court trial.