Monrovia – An alarming wave of criminal activities is becoming worrisome for members of Neezoe Community in Paynesville following a recent burglary at the home of Liberia’s Solicitor General, Cllr. Daku Mulbah, Sr.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
The leadership of the community is recommending the closure of ghettoes in the community the face of the arrest of two notorious criminals, Emmanuel Doe and James Toe, alias Mohammed early Sunday morning, June 1, 2018.
These ghettoes according to Neezoe Community Chairman Francis Paye are being used as hangouts for criminals to carry out their clandestine acts during the night hours.
The two allegedly broke into the home of the Liberian Solicitor General and absconded with a laptop computer, three cellphones and cash valued at US$3,000.
Emmanuel and James were arrested at the Paynesville Central Academy Annex-3 school by police authority assigned at the home of Cllr. Mulbah campus few minutes after their alleged burglary at his home.
According to police, the alleged admitted to the act but only the three cellphones were retrieved from them while the whereabouts of the laptop and cash are yet to be known.
Following their arrest, both suspects Doe and Toe attributed their action to the used of drug substances, pointing to one Yassah Flomo, a resident of the community as a trader of the substances.
Police at the Zone 9 Depot 8 in Pipeline has investigated and charged suspects Emmanuel Doe and James Toe with burglary and theft of property in line with Section 15.20 and 15.51 of the Penal Law of Liberia.
Police said Yassah admitted to trading harmful narcotic substances following Liberia Drug Enforcement Authority investigation at her home during the same Sunday morning hours.
Yassah was reportedly arrested along with another man (not named) at her home and forwarded to court by DEA authority assigned at its Pipeline Road Depot but was later released on grounds that she was a breastfeeding mother.
FrontPage Africa has independently confirmed that Yassah has a walking child but Chairman Paye has complained that the release of the alleged drug trader poses serious threats to the community.
He said it is no secret that Yassah is a notorious drug dealer in Neezoe, an act he believes poses risks to the livelihood of young people, of school going age.
“The coming back of Yassah to this community is a serious threat because this lady has been selling drugs in this community and when we take the complaint to the DEA, they usually inform us that we are not DEA officers, how could we know that people are selling drugs,” Paye said.
According to Mr. Paye, the rise in criminal activities in their community can be linked to the sale of narcotics in their community.
The Neezoe Community chairman, however, complained that DEA officers are usually seen at these drug hangouts without doing anything to arrest the situation.
“People in my community always complain that drugs dealers are usually arrested but are seen back in the community few minutes afterward because they can give the DEA money to release them,” Paye noted.
When contacted via mobile phone, the communication office at the DEA noted that it was not aware of the information.
Speaking Wednesday with FrontPage Africa, Chairman Paye called for the presence of more security personnel in the community and the eviction of ghettoes and hangouts within Neezoe Community in order to create an enabling environment for them.
He further named the Paynesville Community Academy Annex-3 school building, the bridge leading to the community, the grave site and some unfinished buildings as other areas used as hangouts for criminals and drug users.
At the same time, Solicitor General Cllr. Daku Mulbah Sr. has named the burglary at his home as worrisome, emphasizing the need for more measures to be put in place to keep the community free.
Speaking with FPA from the diaspora Wednesday, Cllr. Mulbah expressed disenchantment over the release of Yassah Flomo by authority of the Paynesville Magisterial Court, noting that he will pursue the matter upon his return.
“Well, the lady was arrested and she admitted to selling drug, but she was released on grounds that she has a child that she is breastfeeding, but I don’t know if the man, who was arrested along with her at her house is breastfeeding a child also. Upon my return, I will pursue not only that case but other cases relating to drugs and criminal activities,” Cllr. Mulbah noted.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Mulbah is calling for the collective efforts of residents of Neezoe Community in ensuring that criminal activities are eliminated from the community.