Criminal gangs invade NewDawn offices
--As media house formally reports attack to police
The NewDadwn newspaper, one of Liberia’s leading local dailies, has been invaded by about a hundred hardened criminals armed with different deadly weapons during night hours.
The incident has formally been complained to the Liberia National Police (LNP) following the brutal attack on Wednesday morning at around 1:30 a.m, 18 October 2023.
Through a formal communication detailing the incident, Mr. Othello B. Garblah, Chief Executive Office (CEO)/Managing Editor of the NewDawn newspaper informed Police Inspector General Col. Patrick Sudue of repeated organized attacks being perpetrated against the newspaper.
“We bring you greetings from the Searchlight Communications Inc., Publishers of the New Dawn Newspaper and to formally complain to your Honorable office of repeated organized attacks being perpetrated against our newspaper offices,” wrote Mr. Garblah.
Located between Center Street and UN Drive right opposite the National Investment Commission, the NewDawn newspaper has repeatedly faced attacks by criminals referred to here as zogoes (disadvantaged youth).
Mr. Garblah explained that early Wednesday morning at about 1:30 A.M., over 100 men armed with broken scissors, machetes, clubs, and stones attacked the New Dawn newspaper offices.
Mr. Garblah stated that the attack occurred as workers were printing the Wednesday, 18 October 2023 edition of the newspaper.
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“In the process, they wounded two of our employees and took away valuable items including phones and a motorbike. The bike was later retrieved by some officers from the Anti-Robbery Unit,” said Mr. Garblah.
“This is not the first attack on our newspaper offices by these street individuals commonly referred to as “Zogoes,”” he added.
Sometime last year, the NewDawn CEO said about the same number of men stormed the newspaper’s offices, after one of their guys who had gone to steal was caught by staff at the institution.
“Last night took the intervention of officers from the Anti-Robbery Unit to rescue our staff from the hands of these Zogoes who have their base on Center Street not far from our offices,” Mr. Garblah explained.
He stated that by the letter addressed to the police, the NewDawn has requested the police’s timely intervention before these attacks result in casualties.
“Like our night staff, our securities are unarmed and cannot physically repel these Zogoes who often come in droves with all kinds of deadly weapons to cause bodily harm,” he further informed the police.
