Liberia: ‘Bullets were Found in Deceased Nimba Defender’s Pocket’

The Liberian National Police have revealed that a live bullet was found in the pocket of Victor Yenglee, a former player of the Nimba County football team who was mobbed to death for alleged armed robbery.

The police disclosed that the bullet was discovered in the pocket of Yenglee's jacket during the examination by the 15-man coroner jury. Police quoted a man believed to be a cousin of Yenglee's, who said that when he got to the scene on February 7, he saw Sabu lying in a pool of blood. According to this cousin, Yenglee used his last breath to say that he was fooled by some of his friends.

Police said Yenglee's cousin, only identified as Felton, tried to rush Yenglee to a hospital, but nobody was around or willing to help. He then rushed Yenglee to a nearby clinic to get a nurse to attend to him but, upon their arrival, he was pronounced dead.

On February 7, Yenglee, commonly known as 'Sabu Yenglee', joined two other suspects in an act of armed robbery against a resident of Glenyelun Community, Ganta City, Nimba County. This was the same community where, in late December 2022, a money exchanger was shot and robbed of a huge sum of money, using an automatic rifle and riding on a motorbike.

But, after taking away the man's bag, allegedly containing money, his two friends (to be identified) quickly  jumped on the motorcycle and escaped. Unfortunately, Sabu was not swift enough to join his friends when a group of angry residents rushed and mobbed him to death.

An unconfirmed report circulating on a local radio station in Ganta suggests that the late Sabu was seen with a notorious Ivorian criminal two days earlier in Karnplay.  According to the report, both of them were seen riding a motorcycle bound for Ganta, but the whereabouts of the Ivorian fellow remain unknown. 

Police Regional Commander, Morris Teamah, said the police are investigating and, when confirmed, they will ask Interpol to apprehend the Ivorian.

The late Sabu Yenglee was among the players who defeated Lofa in the final of the 2022/2023 County Sports Meet.  His involvement with armed robbers, which subsequently led to his death, has shocked many in Nimba County and the diaspora, with many expressing frustration over how damaging it is to the County.

Nimba County emerged victorious at the recent County Meet men's football final, an achievement that was hugely celebrated across the length and breadth of the county for almost a month. The cash prize from the County Sports Meet was so huge, nobody could fathom that a player from the team would have gotten involved in such a major criminal offense.

There are mixed reactions concerning Younglee's death. Some say he was firing his weapon until his friends left with the motorbike; others suggest he was shot when he was still firing in the air to scare the residents or the victim from coming closer.

Other information gathered from the popular WhatsApp page ‘AllNimba Agenda’ suggests that the robbers, including Sabu, chased one Harris Kerkula, who had gone to change US$300 to Liberian dollars from near the Total Gas Station in Ganta, to his (Kerkula's) house in the Glennluu  Community before putting him gunpoint and took away his bag. Police are yet to confirm this information.

In late December 2022, the residents of Glennlu, the same locality where this latest incident took place, witnessed another armed robbery, where a money exchanger was shot and his money bag taken away after being chased from a gas station, using the same gun. 

Two persons were arrested in the December incident, including the motorcyclist who drove the money exchanger, while the main perpetrator fled with both the gun and the money bag.

Sabu was found lying on his back with a red shirt, with bruises all on his face and gun shot shells surrounding him, but the gun in question was not found. 

However, the Liberia National Police described the arm as a ‘9mm’ pistol, adding that he was killed by an angry mob, who had Yealleh surrounded with an empty gun. 

His body was turned over to his family for burial.

The police is carrying on assessment across Nimba, especially Ganta and Sanniquellie, to identify some criminal hideouts or no-go zones for possible police deployment 

“Looking at the security situation around Total Gas Station at night, we have decided to beef up security around that zone at night,” said Inspector Archie Dennis, Ganta Police.

However, many believe that the discovery by the coroners of the bullets is a confirmation that the deceased had gone on an armed robbery mission, but that is if the report can be factually verified.