Monrovia-The Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL) said it is shocked by reported death threats on the life of one of its members, Bettie Johnson Mbayo, of the FrontPageAfrica newspaper from a Liberia lawyer, Cllr. Charles Abdullai.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
The lawyer, according to FrontPageAfrica used two strange mobile phone numbers (0881790190 and 0777 519 212) to issue the death threats on Journalist Johnson-Mbayo’s life and one of her children.
Reporter Johnson-Mbayo narrated how she received two separate calls from the lawyer, threatening to assassinate her from the day of the call to September 15, 2018 if she does not stop writing on his client.
The reporter further said that the second call from the same lawyer, Cllr. Charles Abdullai, threatened again that one of her children will get missing if she fails to slow down on reporting on his client.
“Such threats, especially from a legal-minded person, who knows better is grave and troubling in a country where secret killings are usually reported. It should be taken seriously,” RAL said in their release.
The media wants the Liberia National Police to treat with urgency, the official complaint from FrontPageAfrica management by immediately investigating Cllr. Abdullai.
The Association also calls on the police as part of its mandate to provide security for the journalist and her family because of the death threat from Cllr. Abdullai currently exposes her to danger, while the investigation is ongoing.
RAL is also calling on its members in and outside Liberia not to take such threat lightly, stating that it has the propensity of taking away lives.
The Association calls on the Press Union of Liberia and others journalistic institution across the globe to give keen attention to the situation until it is appropriately investigated.