Liberia: Man, 35, Dies in Campaign Violence in Nimba

Police in Karnplay City are investigating the death of a 35-year-old man, reportedly due to a wound from campaign-related violence.

According to Karnplay Police Detail Commander, Augustine Martor, at about 2 a.m. on August 21, one Aloysius Bahn was allegedly hit with a stone in his abdomen after an argument with two persons of the opposite political side, believed to be supporters of the Unity Party in Soe Vatenglay, District # 4, Nimba County.

Police indicated that two people have been arrested in connection with the violence and are currently undergoing interrogation at the Karnplay Police Station.

The two arrested are Anthony Baccus, 15, and Junior Frahn, also known as ‘Patay’, 18, all of Soe Vayenglay Town. The two detainees are the sons of Baccus Sayeh, believed to be a cousin of Senator Jeremiah Kpan Koung, the vice standard bearer to UP standard bearer Joseph N. Boakai.

What really led to the scuffle is still under police investigation, but police disclosed that upon the arrival of the UP campaign team led by Senators Johnson and Koung in Vayenglay, Anthony and Junior, on the one hand, went into an argument with Aloysius Bahn, who was said to be a supporter of Garrison Yealue, who is a key supporter of the ruling CDC.

Police quoted some witnesses who said that during the confusion, Aloysius allegedly followed the two men to their house and began hitting their door, unfortunately, a stone hit him in his abdomen and severely injured him. The police said after he was hit, he was first taken to the house of the Zone Chief, who ordered him to be taken to the Vayenglay Clinic, and then he was  transferred to the Sanniquellie Hospital, where he died a day later.

On Nimba’s populous social media platforms, All Nimba Agenda and Nimba United for Progress — supporters of both CDC and UP — are casting blame on one another over the death of Bahn. UP supporters say the man was killed by his own CDCians, while the CDCians say he was brutally murdered by the UP supporters. 

In a similar development, Senator Prince Y. Johnson’s car was allegedly stoned in Gbor Wehyeeplay by some supporters of Rep. Gunpue Kargon for allegedly threatening Gunpue's life.

According to an eyewitness, when Senator Johnson and his entourage arrived in the town of Gbor Wehplay, he allegedly told the citizens that anyone who goes against him always suffers the consequences.

He said, upon making the statement, the citizens got agitated and began throwing stones at him, forcing him to flee the town with his supporters.

Senator Johnson is noted for making threatening remarks against his opponents, especially those that break away from his NUDP or MDR.

“Few years ago, Senator Johnson also made threatening remarks against some of us that made some citizens vexed, saying, ‘Benedict Bartuah went, he crippled, Senator Grupee went against me, he crippled, as well as many others,” said former Senator Thomas Grupee.

“I think the Godfather should make peace among us, but not incite people against other people, as Senator Johnson is doing,” he said.

“I am appealing to the youth to be careful, because   the politicians, do not have our children in this country, so if anything spike-up, it is the poor people that will feel the weight; they may not have the means to send their children away,” former Senator Grupee said.

It appears that he may have made a similar statement in Gbor Wehyeeplay, leading to the stoning of hi-s car.

Senator Johnson and his entourage, including Senator Koung, have been touring the Gbehlay Geh Statutory District on a Campaign trail.

Gbehlay Statutory District is one of the votes rich districts in Nimba, with about 71k votes in 2017, and it partially includes both electoral districts 3 and 4.

Both the CDC and the UP are doing everything within their reach to win the minds of voters in the districts, but the CDC is said to have an edge because of the presence of Atty. Garrison Yealue and Rep. Gunpue.

In May this year, Senator Johnson and his MDR expelled Rep. Gunpue and other prominent members of the MDR for refusing to denounce the CDC.

Upon the expelling of Rep. Gunpue, the women’s group of Gbor (District 4) visited Senator Johnson in Ganta to reconsider his decision and retain Gunpue, but their appeals couldn’t yield any results because Senator Johnson could not listen to them.

“The same people he refused to listen to were the ones he went to for their votes and began insulting their same son in their present,” said one Gonker Alphonso, an elderly man.