Marylanders Differ With Police Over Arrest of Citizens

The Informer (Monrovia)

19 April 2011

Citizens of Maryland have differed with police authorities over the recent arrest of citizens in the county following a violence including the burning of nine houses and other aggressive acts.

The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the Liberia national Police (LNP) reportedly moved in to quell the situation and arrested several citizens in connection with the civil disturbance that took place around the Maryland and Grand Kru Counties border. About persons are said to have been arrested b y the ERU.

Police spokesman George Bardue is reported to have said six of those arrested were from Grand Kru while three were from Maryland. But the citizens of Maryland, reacting, noted that several of their kinsmen were arrested on both April 7 and 11 and have not been released of charged.

They listed Mr. Nma Wleh Russell, Mr. Wla Freeman, Mr. Alex Hne, Mr. Blotey Tye Nubo, and To-o as citizens of Gbololu and Gbenyen towns in Pleebo/Sodokeh District, Maryland County, who were arrested on April 7.

On the 11th of April, the citizens claimed that Rev. David K. Nyemah, Mr. David Pao Nubo, Mr. Albert N. Gadeh, Mr. Nma Cummings, Mr. Thomas H. Nyemah, Mr. David B. Russell Alphonso B. Nyemah, and Wlo Russell were arrested by ERU officers from Grand Kru.

“The eight persons listed above (those arrested on April 11th) were on their way to Pleebo with a report they wanted to send to the Superintendent in Harper when they were met on the road with two pickers of ERU officers that toke them to Barclayville, Grand Kru County where they were detained. Up to present, no charges have been brought against the men,” a statement from the aggrieved citizens signed by Peter T. Gbarbo stated.

“We strongly reject the statement of Police spokesperson who gave a misleading statement to the public saying that the ERU arrested only three persons from Maryland County and six persons from Grand Kru County. We want him to give the names of the nine persons he spoke about, where they were arrested, and what were they doing when they were arrested by the ERU,” the statement challenged.

They said they seriously challenge the legality of the police’s action against their citizens who are still languishing in prison in Barclayville, Grand Kru County without charges. “We have been informed by our people on the ground that some of the men detained were seriously injured in the process of arrest and detention. Since the men were arrested in Maryland County, by whose authority were they taken to Grand Kru? If those who executed any command to do such an illegal act against our people are ignorant of the laws of Liberia, we, the, people of Klebo in Maryland County, are well informed about the laws that govern our nation and its people.

Mr. Bardue said when the police go on a crime scene they do random arrest of people they expect to be associated with the incident. Following the arrest they are screened and investigated and those who are not linked to the crime are released. He said the ERU did random arrest on the crime, and after preliminary probe, only three were connected and are in police custody.

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