Mob violence, killing’s in Margibi

Margibi County is gradually sinking into lawlessness as mob attacks police officer; carry on summary execution, while bodies are being found in the streets, including an infant with missing body parts, creating panic amongst citizens.

The violence ranges from a man stabbing a colleague to death for allegedly abusing his boss’ wife, an infant gruesomely falling victim of ritualistic killing to mob mercilessly flogging and killing people on suspicions as well as attacking and crippling a member of the Liberia National Police, all happening in just two days.

The above incidents transpired over the weekend in Kakata, Weala and the Konoquelleh Clan of Cinta Township, respectively in Margibi. On Friday, 11November a man only identified as Rufus in Weala, believed to be in his late 20s allegedly stabbed one Alexander Borbor to death.

Though police have declined to speak on the issue on grounds that investigation is ongoing, eyewitnesses narrate that Rufus had gone to revenge for his boss known as Bobby when he allegedly caused Alexander to meet his untimely death.

It all started when the victim passed in a yard where he had usually passed and joked with residents. This time around, according to one eyewitness, he asked the people in the yard why they were sitting sadly and the wife of Bobby responded to him harshly, ranting insults, something, which led the deceased to return the insults.

Bobby got angry and decided to fight Alexander for insulting his wife. In that process, Bobby and some of his neighbors joined and beat up the victim, injuring him. But the victim retaliated by wounding Bobby on his head.

At this juncture, one of Bobby’s friends took a kitchen knife and went to stab Alexander after he has left the scene and gone home. His intestine was pulled out as a result of this and he died in a vehicle that was transporting him to hospital.

Several minutes following that, Rufus was arrested by police while on the run in the Peace Island Community in Weala the same night. Angry crowd saw him handcuffed and escorted by a police officer. They attacked and broke the officer’s leg before stoning Rufus nearly to death.

The police later intervened and arrested several suspects, including some of those accused of being responsible for Alexander Borbor’s death. Then came Saturday, 12 November when a group of young people, claiming to be friends of the late Alexander went to Weala, asking the police to turn the case over to the Kakata Police on grounds that they don’t trust the Weala Police depot with the investigation.

The same Saturday, an infant about one year and six months old, who went missing recently, was found with several body parts missing.  According to our reporter who visited the scene, the lifeless body of the child was found in a swamp after many days of search with one eye removed, including the left foot, tongue, some fingers, intestines and a piece of her skull as well as sexual organ.

At least three persons have been arrested in connection with the death and are undergoing police investigation. In a related development, the body of an unidentified man was also discovered over the weekend in Kakata, believed to have been attacked by angry mob.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi-Editing by Jonathan Browne