By Edwin M. Fayia, III, Edwinfaya@gmail.com
Despite numerous warnings to Liberia National Police (LNP) officers against the meting out brutalities in many forms against civilians in the country, it seems that such warnings continue to fall on deaf ears.
Accordingly, the Parker Paint Checkpoint in the Monrovia suburb of Paynesville plays host to four major road corridors that lead to densely populated communities of Cllr. Tom Beyan, Wood Camp, Soul Clinic and FDA as well as Mount Barclay in the area.
As a result, hundreds of motorcyclists, businesswomen, men and ordinary Liberians have expressed shock and outrage over unprofessional acts and excesses of countless number of police, Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency agents as well as immigration officers.
Majority of the victims’ mainly small businesswomen, men and youths of all categories have stressed the urgent need for the swift intervention of the LNP Inspector General Patrick Sudue and other heads of prominent security agencies in the country.
It was at this very Parker Paint checkpoint that a senior official of the Press and Communications Division of the LNP was attacked on a motorbike by a police aide that led to a serious scuffle and exchange profane languages recently.
Principally, joint security personnel of the various security agencies of the Liberian Government since the State of Emergency was declared by President George Manneh Weah. And it followed the third lockdown of some parts of the country have been treating Liberians with heavy handedness at some of the checkpoints.
“I want to categorically remind IG Patrick Sudue that we are dying at the hands of some of his heartless police women and men in the name of Coronavirus pandemic (COVID19) health restrictions at Parker Paint checkpoint in Paynesville,” Says Used clothes Dealer, Cecelia Betty Duncan.
At this same checkpoint on June 2, 2020 in Paynesville, two police officers in hot pursuit of a motorcyclist and passenger, in the process extensively beat the two (rider, passenger) on the motorbike, which collided with a mini bus headed for Mount Barclay Community.
In related development, on the densely populated Soul Clinic road, several checkpoints have been mounted for what commercial motorcyclists term as the extensive extortion, intimidation, harassment and other notorious acts.
Motorcyclists and other end users of the community road have on numerous occasions complained. But regrettably, such public outcries seem to constantly, c be swept under the table by authorities of the LNP heading of police depots in the Soul Clinic community in Paynesville, some residents complain.
When they are told, they only give promises with no concrete action yet in sight to improve this situation.