PHOTO: One of those who sustained injury during last weekend’s protest
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia– Police in the this port city have announced the arrest of about 15 people allegedly responsible for the destruction of properties and wounding of several persons during last weekend’s violent protest in Wee Statutory District, Grand Bassa County.
FLASHBACK: One scene during the protest
They were arrested after the Saturday, July 31, 2021 protest, when over one hundred aggrieved youths took to the street of Wayzohn city, after setting roadblock and stopping normal activities in demand for justice over the mysterious killing of a 15-year-old boy Bartu Faith.
According to a family source, the deceased was a resident of the area and student of the St. Joseph Experimental School System in Wee Statutory District.
Police Commander of Grand Bassa County, Siakor Freeman said the 15 people were recently arrested are in connection to the violent street protest that also left several persons wounded and vehicle set ablaze, stating that, they will duly be charged and forwarded to the Magisterial Court in Buchanan for prosecution.
FLASHBACK:: Little Bartu Faith Jacob when he was found hanging from the roof of the house
Commander Freeman described the citizens’ action as unlawful and intolerable, noting that the police have evidence in their possession to display that those arrested are liable for the tragedy.
How the protest started?
On July 27, 2021, just a day after Liberia’s 174th Independence Day celebration, the lifeless body of the 15 years old boy was discovered hanging at his parents residence in the district.
The residents of the area said they were surprised and completely broken down when the crops of the child was discovered, as they demanded the police to launch an investigation into the unfortunate incident to ensure justice for him and his grieving families.
Based on the citizens demand, a 15-member Coroner Jury was set up by the Criminal Investigation Division, examined the remains of the 15-year-old boy and they reported that his neck was broken; fluids were taken from his nose while his penis would not be found. The jurors said they also noticed leakage of blood from his right leg and the anus of the child was tempered with. Based on the results, it was concluded that foul play and not suicide as was initially suspected.
But the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Liberia National Police in Grand Bassa County, James Papa Yekeku told the deceased family members, local authorities, and security actors that the boy died as a result of hanging and not being murdered as was originally suspected.
Commander Yekeku maintained that the juror’s report did not corroborate with what was observed earlier on the victim’s body by the police; adding that the child committed suicide.
However, the Coroner Jury report that pointed out alleged foul play could not be considered because it was done on physical observation which cannot be proven by health personnel which prompted him to officially turn the dead body over to the family for burial.
But, the group’s leaders, Stephens Z. Garway and Eric Day-you-gar said they wonder why the juror’s report would not be nullified when there is legal justification to show that there were foul played on the deceased remains, describing the CSD commander statement as a clever attempt to destroyed living evidence and set the allegedly perpetrators free.
Conflict broke out in Wayzohn City and grew early Saturday morning, July 31, after the group staged a massive protest demanding an immediate and creditable investigation into the death of a boy who they claimed was reportedly killed under mysterious circumstance by some unknown persons.
According to report gathered, the aggrieved protesters took the streets of Wayzohn City chanting slogans as such “No investigation, No burial” and burned tires and sticks in the streets from the morning hours up to the evening time in forceful demand of justice why calling for the alleged perpetrators to faced serious penalty.
The group leaders Stephen Z. Garway and Eric Day-you-gar mentioned that about five youths of the district have died under mysterious circumstances without a full-scale investigation conducted by the police, stating that the alleged killer(s) of little Bartu will not go scot free.
Due to tension, Police reinforcement from the Police Support Unit (PSU) were dispatched to the district, used teargas against protesters that later left about three persons sustaining major eyes and bodies’ injuries.
However, peace has since been restored among citizens of the district despite their consistent notification for justice into the death of their friend.
Meanwhile, the corpse of little Bartun Faith Jacobs is presently deposited at the Emma Juah Funeral Home in Wayzohn City as investigation continues into the alleged ritualistic killing.