Liberia: Huge Quantity of Ammunition Discovered in Nimba

A 16-year-old lad in Nimba County has made an unexpected life changing discovery: a stash of  ammunition large enough to outfit an army.

The discovery, which has been confirmed by police in Ganta, Nimba County, involved thousands of rounds of ammunition for AK-47 and other military grade weapons. 

However, this is not the first time ammunition has been discovered in Ganta. In the past, discoveries have been mostly single barrel ammunition rounds, but the scale of military grade ammunition is the first.

The 16-year-old stumbled upon the  ammunition while cleaning behind his parents’ house in Blagay Town, Ganta City, police have confirmed. The ammunition, however, was found near the residence of a notorious Ivorian armed robber, who is currently in prison for alleged armed robbery.

It is not clear, however, whether Weamie is the owner of the ammunition or if it could be an old stockpile from the remnant of the country’s 14- years of civil war.  

According to the police in Ganta, an investigation is ongoing to see if there is any link with Weamie. 

Weamie, who had allegedly  escaped jail in Ivory Coast, had wreaked havoc in the bustling commercial city of Ganta as the leader of one of the city’s notorious gangs before his arrest in February. 

Ganta, known as the ‘city that never sleeps’, has become susceptible to crimes, thanks to the prevalence of cross-border trade status and the open sale of illegal drugs, which are fueling the city's high crime rate, with petty thieves and armed robbers roaming the streets both day and night. 

Weamie, who is 39 years old, according to police records, has been one of the most wanted criminals in Ganta, having masterminded the spike of armed robberies involving large amounts of cash. 

In the most notable robbery, according to police, he used a 1.5 mm pistol to attack a money changer and made away with over US$5,000. He shot the merchant in the leg in the process. 

Another of his signature attacks took place in February, the same month he was arrested, and involved an older victim, who was robbed at gunpoint, a police record shows. However, one of his alleged gang members, who had been a footballer for the Nimba County National team, died in the process.

Police in Ganta then charged Weamie with multiple counts, including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, aggravated assault, criminal facilitation, and theft of property, and had him forwarded to Sanniquellie Central Prison, awaiting court trial.

Meanwhile, the discovery of ammunition has instilled fear in many residents of Ganta, who are worried about the spike in the use of guns for arm robbery activities. 

This fear is compounded by the discovery earlier this year of a huge cache of arms and ammunition at the Freeport of Monrovia and a private residence in Brewerville, which are believed to be connected to the same source.

According to the police authority, the shipments of mainly assault rifles were sent over a one-year period in batches. 

The weapons, according to the police,  had been shipped allegedly by Boye Benjamin Baker, a Liberian-American who lives in Texas, United States of America. The weapons, the police said, involved M16 and AK47 assault rifles and had the ability to destroy the entire country due to “their advanced sophistication.” 

Baker has denied the allegation. However, investigation into the matter is still ongoing, police noted.