The Paynesville City Magistrate Court has issued a formal writ of arrest for Mustapha Raji, President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA).
By Jaheim T. Tumu | [email protected]
According to the writ, Raji is charged with Simple Assault and Disorderly Conduct following an alleged physical confrontation with Jubilee FC President James Nimene.
The arrest order, signed by Assistant Clerk of Court Mulbah Topoe, commands Captain Roosevelt Bryant, the Magistrate Police or his deputy, to apprehend Raji and bring him before the court to answer the charges.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest the above-named person (defendant) and forthwith bring him before the Paynesville City Magistrate Court to answer to the crime(s) as stated above,” the judicial document reads.
The Alleged Confrontation
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the LFA headquarters in Congo Town.
According to the complaint filed by Nimene, Raji acted with “malicious intent” during a heated exchange in the LFA Conference Room.
Nimene alleged that Raji “banged him in the chest” and “forcibly pushed him from the back” out of the room, further threatening to break his hand “without any color of right.”
The court writ describes the actions as “wrong, criminal, intentional, and illegal,” citing a direct violation of Liberia’s statutory laws.
Roots of the Dispute
Speaking to Front Page Africa(FPA) via telephone, Nimene linked the altercation to a long-standing dispute between his club, Jubilee FC, and the LFA leadership.
The friction began last year when the LFA relegated Jubilee FC to the Third Division over an alleged breach involving a fraudulent business registration document and an unpaid US$10,000 fine.
Following the relegation, Nimene claims he was systematically sidelined.
“I was removed from the LFA President’s chat room and the Second Division chat room. I was denied LFA email correspondence. There was no medium to receive information I was entitled to,” Nimene told FPA.
Escalation at the LFA
Nimene explained that he and the club’s owner, Bishop John Allen Klayee, visited the LFA headquarters to inquire why Jubilee players were barred from competing.
They were reportedly told the players had not been registered in the Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) a process Nimene argues was impossible since the club had been excluded from all official communication channels.
During the meeting, tensions reached a breaking point. Nimene recalled Raji’s ultimatum: “He said, ‘James, say one more word and I’ll ask you out.’ I said, ‘How?’ He said, ‘Oh, you dare me?’ I said, ‘Mustapha, you can’t do it.’”
Nimene alleged that Raji then moved from behind his desk, shouted at him, and “palmed” him in the chest before pushing him out of the door.
“Although I was shivering and angry, I held my peace because Bishop Klayee is my spiritual father,” Nimene said, noting that LFA Executive Committee member Tony Deinuka witnessed the aftermath and intervened to deescalate the situation.
Legal Implications
The charges of Simple Assault and Disorderly Conduct are punishable under Liberian law.
While typically classified as misdemeanors, the legal action comes at a precarious time for the LFA, which is already facing scrutiny over internal governance and accountability.
The court writ names James K. Nimene as the primary witness. As of press time, the LFA has not released an official statement regarding the writ of arrest.
