Othello Sarweh Nimely
MONROVIA In a hearth burning assertion difficulty lately, former Mayor of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, has strongly condemned the Liberia Nationwide Police (LNP) over what he describes as a harmful sample of brutality, abuse, and politicized policing below the management of Inspector Common Gregory Coleman.
His critique follows a latest press launch from the LNP relating to a July 22, 2025 incident on Newport Road, which concerned the controversial arrest of Madam Zainab Bah. The previous mayor characterised the LNP’s assertion as “a calculated cover-up” and “an official smokescreen” meant to protect lawless habits inside the pressure.
“The police, whose statutory accountability is to guard lives and properties, is now a scorching seat of political operatives executing harmless Liberians below civilian watch,” Koijee declared.
He notably condemned the violent dealing with of Madam Bah—who was reportedly stripped of her non secular dignity and separated from her youngster—as not solely knowledgeable failure, however an ethical shame. Officer Alice Tokpah, who was concerned within the incident, was handed a suspension by the LNP, a transfer Koijee labeled “a slap on the wrist.”
Citing different previous incidents, Koijee accused the LNP of a sample of extreme pressure and extrajudicial killings. He referenced the deaths of 42-year-old Josephus Tukpeh in Caldwell, 17-year-old James Kandy in July 2024, and Manoba Mohammed in Brewerville, all allegedly by the hands of cops. These instances, he argued, have seen little to no accountability, whereas “Gregory Coleman sits on TikTok to make movies.”
Koijee additionally pointed to a viral video exhibiting Coleman publicly chastising a feminine officer, Hellen N. Cooper, throughout what gave the impression to be a disciplinary session. The previous mayor criticized the encounter as “a disgraceful spectacle” that symbolized a poisonous management tradition inside the police pressure.
“Let’s assume this was Mr. Coleman’s kids’s mom who was handled this fashion on digital camera—would he have let this example occur?” Koijee questioned.
He charged that the Inspector Common has remodeled the LNP from a nationwide safety establishment right into a instrument of intimidation, claiming Coleman’s administration has led to; A rise in civilian beatings, torture, and killings;
A shift from public service to fear-driven operations; and A breakdown in inner self-discipline, changed with public humiliation and showmanship.
Calling for pressing reform, Koijee demanded Coleman’s instant dismissal.
“Liberia will not be a stage for Coleman’s ego,” he stated. “The individuals deserve a police pressure that protects—not persecutes.
Officers deserve management that respects—not ridicules. And victims like Zainab Bah and the household of Josephus Tukpeh deserve justice—not press statements stuffed with chilly legalese and empty platitudes.”
As public concern grows over the conduct and path of the LNP, Koijee’s assertion provides to mounting stress on nationwide authorities to take motion and restore public belief within the nation’s safety establishments.
Neither the LNP nor Inspector Common Coleman has responded on to Koijee’s assertion on the time of publication.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been within the occupation for over twenty years. He has labored for a lot of worldwide media shops together with: West Africa Journal, Africa Week Journal, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Instances, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He’s the present correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in Worldwide Relations and a candidate for second grasp in Worldwide Peace research and Battle Decision from the College of Liberia.
