By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Upon checking the meters, technician Junior Ezekiel discovered a Power Theft (by-passed meter) on the two (2) meters, meaning, both meters were being tempered with/by-passed.
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia – The Liberia National Police in Monrovia has charged and sent to court defendant Zainab Bah for alleged disorderly conduct, simple assault and preventing arrest, among other things.
Defendant Bah was arrested, acquainted with her Miranda rights, duly investigated and subsequently charged with the commission of the crimes of Preventing Arrest or Discharge of Other Duties, Disorderly Conduct, & Simple Assault in violations of Chapter 12 Subchapter E Section 12.2, Chapter 17 Section 17.3 paragraphs “A & B and Chapter 14 Section 14.21 of the Revised Penal Law of the Republic of Liberia, pending court trial.
According to the power theft law in Liberia, power theft has to do with the tempering with, interference with, or improper use of electric meter by domestic consumer is a second degree felony punishable with a definite prison term of not less than 2 years and not more than 5 years.
The guilty person shall also be fined US$400.
The police charge sheet said, on the 22nd of July, 2025, between the hours of 2:15 and 3:30, the Liberia Electricity Cooperation Anti-Power Theft Team (LEC-APT) headed by Marcus Boimah of the Liberia Electricity Corporation including Junior Ezekiel (LEC technician), Patrolwoman Alice M. Tokpa (Liberia National Police), Patrolman Prince W. Chebo (Liberia National Police) and others, went into the field on Newport Street, City of Monrovia, Republic of Liberia, to conduct their regular inspection against power theft respectively. While in the field inspecting, the team (Anti-Power Theft Team) walked to a blue two (2) story building which is situated on Newport Street opposite the Headquarters of the Liberia National Fire Service to check whether it was power theft or not.
According to the police charge sheet, when the Anti-Power Theft’s team got to the supra-building, technician Junior Ezekiel and teammates walked upstairs to the first floor of the aforesaid building, there and then, checked the two (2) LEC-meters that were planted side-by-side on the wall serving both upstairs & downstairs.
Upon checking the meters, technician Junior Ezekiel discovered a Power Theft (by-passed meter) on the two (2) meters, meaning, both meters were being tempered with/by-passed. That following the discovery of the power theft, they asked the principal defendant, Zainbu Bah, a resident of the said house and who was the only person present at the time standing on the front porch/veranda as to the whereabouts of her husband, but she did respond that her husband had gone to work.
Subsequently, the LEC APT-team did a video recording of the tempered/by-passed meters and afterward took them (meters) down. After the taking down of the meters, the LEC APT-team’s leader in person of Marcus Boimah asked the Police Support Team to be precise Patrolman Prince W. Chebo to invite defendant Zainab Bah at the Power Theft Office on the Baptist Field Duport Road, Paynesville for investigation that which the officer did invite her, but she the principal defendant, Zainab Bah, refused, resisted and or failed to yield to the police lawful instruction, yet the police persistently engaged her to calm down and follow them.
As the police was verbally engaging defendant Zainab Bah to comply and go with them, she instead disregarded the lawful instruction of Patrolman Prince Chebo, then put up an aggressive posture against the Anti-Power Theft team and thus became very hostile to an uncontrollable extent that without having respect for constituted authority and wanton disregard for the law, did there and then intentionally, deliberately, or willfully took a wooden chair and assaulted Junior Ezekiel, the LEC technician with it. Similarly, she violently took a pot of soup from the ground which was near a two (2) sided cook-pot and directly threw it at officer Prince Chebo and technician Junior Ezekiel, but the same was wasted on two (2) unidentified children that were reportedly within the close perimeter of the scene.
Then last but not least, and bearing in mind that she has been arrested by the police and under their custody in handcuff, when she and the arresting officer (Prince Chebo) were facing the balcony/porch, the primary incident scene, she took her male saddle/son who was accordingly in an unidentified woman hand and held him tightly onto her chest as human shield with the intend to prevent a public servant from lawfully effecting an arrest of herself, and as such, when officers Alice M. Tokpah and Prince Chebo were managing to put her under control, she did further bite patrolwoman Alice Tokpah with her teeth and wounded her (Alice Tokpah) in her left hand/palm.
Meanwhile, as the tussled to put the defendant under control get tougher, officers Alice M. Tokpa & Prince Chebo could not disengage and backoff in order to deescalate the situation.
They still had the defendant handcuffed seated on the floor scuffling to get her off the house, during which process, they (officers Alice M. Tokpa & Prince Chebo) eventually yanked or pull off her headscarf/hijab from her head. Notwithstanding, the officers, there and then allow her to wear it back. Finally, she was arrested and taken to the Anti-Power Theft Office located on the Baptist Field, Duport Road, Paynesville City, Republic of Liberia.
However, the investigation managed to obtain, then viewed and analyzed a video circulating on social media to be precise “FACEBOOK” showing a play of how suspect Zainab Bah perpetrated the crimes Simple Assault and Disorderly Conduct against Officer Prince W. Chebo and others.
That the Special Investigation Team (SIT) watched the video and observed the following;
The SIT observed a police officer (Prince W. Chebo) wearing a blue long-sleeve tactical uniform/BTU, having a long rifle/gun crossed on his chest with its muzzle straightly pointed down to the ground, and standing directly facing a lady (Zainab Bah) and talking to her,
The SIT observed a lady identified as fanning a fire of a two (2) sided cook pot that has two (2) pots thereon,
The SIT observed a lady later identified as Zainab Bah talking to the officer with emotion speaking in a dialect believe to be Fula,The SIT observed a lady identified as Zainab Bah angrily picking up a bench and throwing the same at the officer (Prince W Chebo),
The SIT observed the lady identified as Zainab Bah also throwing a pot of soup on the officer and others,
The SIT observed the officer trying put defendant Zainab Bah under control to bring her outdoor, but she was like vehemently resisting,
The SIT observed that while defendant Bah was being carried by the officer from the porch/balcony and along the way, she took a male child from another lady and held him tightly onto her chest as human shield with the intend to prevent a public servant from lawfully effecting an arrest of herself,
The SIT observed the lady identified as Zainab Bah handcuffed seated on the floor while officers Alice M. Tokpa & Prince Chebo were scuffling to get her off the house, during which process, they (officers Alice M. Tokpa & Prince Chebo) eventually yanked or pull off her headscarf/hijab from her head. Notwithstanding, the officers, there and then allow her to wear it back.
Meanwhile, Monrovia City Court through its stipendiary magistrate L. Ben Barco issued a writ of arrest on defendant Zainab Bar following a comment from the LEC power theft crew headed by Marcus Boima, Junior Ezekiel, Alice Tokpa and Prince Chebo
Police also through their investigation exonerated Prince Chebo and suspended Alice Tokpa for one month without pay for removal defendant Zainab Bah hijab from her hair.