MONROVIA – The Liberia National Police (LNP) believes it is doing a fine job clamping down on criminals, especially well-known hard core and notorious armed robbers, but the courts are doing too little to keep them behind bars for the safety of the communities.
The Inspector General of the Liberia National Police expressed this over the weekend when the anti-robbery squad of the LNP gunned down an infamous armed robber, Ben Roberts, aka ‘Bad Man Roberts’, who once arrested in 2008, sentenced in 2009 but it remains unknown he got out of prison.
“The release of these criminals by the court is causing serious problems for the Police and the community. One Kessely Mulbah was released by the court in the same way, when he came back in the community, he killed a member of Kapaukapau night watch team in Keba and was again shot by the LNP anti-robbery squad in the leg, treated and sent back to the court and he was sent to South Beach prison,” Col. Sudue said.
‘Bad Man Roberts’ was killed in a brutal ex-change of fire with the police leaving a senior officer of the LNP anti-robbery unit, Chief. Supt. Alphonso Yarkpa, shot in the leg – fracturing a bone.
Roberts was pronounced dead at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center while Supt. Yarkpa is undergoing treatment at the same hospital. A pistol with several rounds of ammunitions and other deadly weapons were retrieved from him.
According to the Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue, the gang leader was the leader of the famous Isakaba which was established in 2006 in West Point. The group is well known for terrorizing people with guns, cutlasses and other deadly weapon in Central Monrovia and its environs.
He went to jail in 2009 but resurfaced in the communities at the end of 2020 and reorganized the group, according to Col. Sudue.
“We don’t’ know how he was released after being sentenced,” the Police chief said.
The gang under the leadership of ‘Bad Man Roberts’ has since been involved with series of armed robberies, including:
On January 5, they robbed one Janet Bartuah in Harmon Field, Du-port Road community. In that incident, two of the robbers Cooper Harris and Moses Fiah were
shot in the right hip and right leg, respectively by the LNP anti-robbery squad. They are presently taking treatment at the JFK Hospital and are expected to be discharged on Tuesday. They will be turned over to the LNP for prosecution. Another of them were arrested and forwarded to court for prosecution.
They were again involved another armed robbery on January 20 victimizing one Simeon B. Matson of 72nd Community in Paynesville. No arrest was made.
On January 25, 202, Caroline Gbayou of Ashmun Street, Dusty Road was armed robbed by the same group, there was no arrest made.
Col. Sudue said the LNP night patrol has been beefed up by the purchasing of new vehicles for the LNP by President George Weah.
“We would like to thank His Excellency, President George M. Weah for purchasing some vehicles for the LNP which has rejuvenated the night patrol. Upon receiving these vehicles, we have re-enforced our night patrol which has yield a significant dividend,” he said.
He said, five individuals were arrested in Fanti Town, New Matadi for dumping a corpse in the community. “If they were successful in leaving the body in the community and the body being discovered that morning, Facebook and other social media platform would have gone viral in discrediting the government and the police for not protecting its citizens and will insinuate that people are being killed all over the various communities.”
He said, the corpse of a child was dumped in similar way on the Old Road. The parents are yet to be found.
On March 12, 2021 at about 2:00 am one Nathaniel Johnson who lives in the Pipeline community was arrested around the Balama Community with a single barrel short gun while the officers of LNP were on Patrol. “These are people who are terrorizing our people at night with single barrel gun,” he said.
On the same March 12, one Joshua Karkpee was stabbed in Thinker’s Village by Abraham Johnson who escaped the scene. He was later arrested on March 14 at 10 pm and being processed for court.