‘Dismiss Sudue Now’

The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) has called for the immediate dismissal of the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, Col. Patrick Sudue for gross incompetence. 

The Association says while there exist numerous issues at different levels of the Liberia criminal justice System, it strongly believes that Inspector Sudue’s dismissal for incompetence and administrative inefficiency would send the signal to Liberians the world over that the Liberian government is committed to protecting the lives and properties of all people within the territorial confines of the country.

The Association in a press noted that under Inspector General Sudue’s watch, the police have been unable to solve numerous murders in the country, and have lost trust and confidence among the people in bringing perpetrators of these crimes to justice. 

"As a result, family members of the victims, who are seeking justice are left with a feeling of frustration and disillusionment. While we acknowledge that crime exists in every society and not every crime will be solved, it, however, believes that there exist trained officers in the LNP, who can address the current wave of murders in Liberia under new leadership," ALJA release disclosed. 

ALJA demands come after the death of Maude Elliot, a former employee of the Liberia Immigration Services (LIS), and two prominent individuals including Liberia’s Peace Ambassador, Rev William R. Tolbert III, the youngest son to the country’s 20^th President, Dr. William R. Tolbert, Jr and John Hilary Tubman, a son of another former President, William V. S. Tubman were all in recent times gruesomely murdered in their homes.

The death of these three individuals comes on the heels of several mutilated bodies found in different parts of the country amidst reports of an upsurge in ritualistic killings.  

However, Association believes that the Police Inspector General did further damage to his reputation with his recent bizarre and unsubstantiated claims that reports of widespread ritualistic killings in the country were fake and a ploy by opposition politicians to tarnish the image of the government.

"While Col. Sudue is a political appointee, the office of the Inspector General needs to be apolitical and professional, continuously working to maintain the integrity and independence of the Liberia National Police," the release added. 

"The fundamental responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and properties of its citizens, and it urged President George Weah and the Liberian government to take immediate actions to remedy this crisis as these unsolved murders suggest that the government is failing in meeting this responsibility," ALJA noted. 

The group furthered that the unsolved murders cases have led to Liberians living in fear, and unsure as to whether the Weah administration has the willpower or the capacity to bring the perpetrators of the reported murders to justice.The Association maintains that with the Christmas holidays just weeks away and the country’s bi-centennial celebrations or the year of the return on the horizon, the government must ensure that confidence is restored in the country’s criminal justice system if it intends to attract tourists, investors, and Liberians living abroad to the country.