Residents mob suspect to death

Insecurity in Liberia remains a daunting challenge for its post-war 4 million population, especially in the wake of Security Council resolution extending UNMIL’s Mandate to June, 2016, amidst ongoing drawdown of peacekeeping troops.

The country is grappling with crimes and lawlessness with community residents becoming victims of burglary, armed robbery and mob violence, among others as the latest involves an unidentified man believed to be in his 30s, whose dead body was found lying in a pool of blood Tuesday, 27 October near the Jamaica Road Bridge, which connects Somalia Drive to the commercial district of Bushrod Island, a Monrovia’s suburb.

An eyewitness from the scene Samuel Johnson, narrated to this paper it all started by 11pm Tuesday night when a young girl was found crying about a guy, who had allegedly stolen her money, and other personal belongings.

The eyewitness continued that the alleged criminal came to her, asking about someone she does not even know from anywhere, and in an attempt to respond, he punched her in the face and snatched her bag, leaving her with no alternative, but to cry for help, which led community residents to come in her defense and subsequently mobbed the suspect to death.

“This is not the first time in this community for rogue to snatch people things; it is a usual habit, and he was not the only guy in this area.They are many that are in this act together – as soon as you step foot on this bridge by 10 to 11 p.m. expect yourself to be hijacked by those criminals; I really don’t know the kind of society we are living in these days where people, who should have come to our rescue are not doing anything to help us”, Samuel complained.

He blamed the government for doing nothing to improve living condition of its citizens, cautioning “More than this will happen when UNMIL leaves this country, because our leaders are not working in our interest but rather satisfying themselves.”

According to him, every year students graduate from grade schoolsand universities, but yet still no place to work so what do you expect. “The government hasn’t provided the enabling environment for the youth so there will be more of this to come in the future.”

Few weeks ago, a 35-year-old Sierra Leonean national was found dead in Kaymah Town, Soul Clinic community with bruises on his body. The deceased, identified as Alpha Jeff, was seen lying in a pool of blood Tuesday, 20 October.

–By Lewis S. Teh