Liberia: Two Die in Nimba Prison

Sanniquellie, Nimba County – Two inmates who were sentenced to life imprisonment have been found dead at the Sanniquellie Center Prison (SCP), in Nimba County.

Report by Franklin Doloquee, FPA Contributor

The two men, 23 and 28, respectively, were convicted for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by presiding Judge Yarmie Gbeisay of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court.

Defendant Josiah Quoi, 28, reportedly contacted his friend Yarlo Dahn, 23, of Duo Gorton town in District # 2, Nimba, to murder Cooper Baymie, who had travelled to Nimba to claim a cash crop farm.

Baymie, 56 lived in Monrovia. He had gone to ask his nephew (Quoi) to release his property but he was murdered on his farm by the two deceased inmates.

According to reports, Quoi contacted his friend Dahn to go after Baymie on the farm in order to kill him. By that means, he would retain ownership of the properties.

The men had been in prison for a year before they were sentenced to life.

Cllr. Robertson Mehn, Public Defender, attributed the death of the inmates to the over crowdedness of the prison.

He told our reporter that the facility was built as a quick impact project by the United National Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) for 75 but currently hosts over 200 inmates.

Cllr. Mehn disclosed that the prison facility lacks basic facilities including foods, medicinal drugs, and mattresses for inmates.

Hector Quoiguah, Nimba County Attorney, confirmed the over crowdedness of Sanniquellie Central Prison.

He explained that the government is doing everything to address the problems.

Meanwhile, Prison Director Edward McGill has confirmed the death of the two inmates but told our correspondent that they were ill prior to their death.

He disclosed that they were taken to the G.W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie to seek medical treatment where they were pronounced dead.

Sources told FrontPageAfrica that the two men died at the prison but were taken to the hospital for doctor’s confirmation.