Monrovia – The controversial shooting incident in Bomi which instilled fear in Liberians across the country and in neighboring Sierra-Leone was a result of an unidentified individual who was learning practicing how to shoot, according to Minister of Justice, Cllr. Fredrick Cherue.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – edwin.genoway@frontpageonline,com
Cllr. Cherue, at a news conference on Tuesday, said there was no helicopter and burly men as reported by Bomi residents. He noted that the firing in the forest of Fula Hill and Sass Town does not pose any threat to the country security.
“The shooting that was carried on in the bush does not pose any threat to our security as a country. From what we saw in the bush, someone may have gone there with a nine millimeter pistol to practice how to shoot,” he noted. “As you can see, the person went there with lots of empty beer bottles that you can see spider web in.”
The Justice Minister disclosed that the Government is currently in pursuit of the culprit who is yet to be identified.
What remains unclear is how government’s investigators or intelligence derived at the conclusion that it was an individual that was practicing how to shoot when the said person is still on the run and has not been arrested.
But the Justice Minister told journalists that from what the investigators observed on the scene, it suggests that someone was practicing in the bush.
“There were five rounds released by that individual. We discovered that there was tree stump with empty beer bottles on it, and on that tree we saw one of the bullets mark which indicated to us that he missed the bottle and shot the tree,” Minister Cherue explained
Recently there were reports of strange armed men being spotted in a local village called ‘Fula Hill’ around Klay District in Bomi County, a situation that created fears in villagers who spent sleepless night pondering what was afoot.
As a result of the scaring report, officers from the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and some members of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) were dispatched to the scene to ascertain the facts surrounding shooting.
The Government’s latest position that there were no men in the forest contradicts the Superintendent of Bomi County Samuel Brown who, at the time, confirmed that villagers told him there were strange armed men and shooting in a farming area, “Fula Hill’ in Klay District, Bomi County.
Superintendent Brown told reporters that the firings of light weapons were heard in the Fula Hill area, something he said created panic among citizens.
A farmer now considered as a principle witness of the situation was prevented from speaking with media by state security forces.
Fact finding investigations, according to Superintendent Brown and Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization Commissioner Col. Lemeul Reeves, are ongoing as the identities of these reported strange men are yet to be known, while at the same time no arrest has been made.
Too much lies
After addressing the media on the Bomi shooting, several students of the University of Liberia in separate interviews with FrontPageAfrica described the report as ‘nonsense’.
Laurence Breway of the political science department at the University of Liberia said the Justice Minister is confused and does not know what he’s saying.
“I wonder the Minister thinks we are stupid people living in this country? How can you tell us that a man who the government of Liberia has not seen or arrested was practicing how to shoot in the bush? So how the minister and his so called investigators know that this man was practicing in that bush?”
Yassah Meyakor also of the Political Science Department expressed disappointment in the government’s report.
“Maybe that person who was practicing in the bush that we all don’t know is the son of the minister. Maybe that person told the minister before going to practice there, we are tired of the too much lies by this government,” she expressed.
Another student, Marcus Weah of the Business College at the University also disagrees with the report.
“We told you the journalists them that this government was making up stories but refused to believe us, but thank God they themselves have come out to explain the lies for themselves.
How can an individual who is claiming to be a lawyer is telling us that a strange man went to the bush at night but that strange man only went there to practice how to shoot? In the first place, the Minister just showed his own weakness as Sannoh was,” Weah explained.
Clemency for nine prisoners
Speaking on other issues at the press conference, Justice Minister Fredrick Cherue said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, by recommendations from the Justice Minister, has released nine persons from detention from around the country including the Monrovia Central Prison.
He said those released were placed behind bars and over stayed for committing minor offenses that does not warrant years in jail.
Justice Minister Cherue said those individuals released by the Liberian leader are being rehabilitated in the society.
Minister Cherue said the inmates were being kept in prisons around the country for committing offenses like simple assault, theft of property, and disorderly conduct, among others.