Liberia: Man Sells Stepson for US$150, L$50K
Tension is said to be high in the Zaglay, where an angry mob ransacked the Bahn Police Station in Nimba County as a reprisal attack against a man who was under detention for allegedly selling his two-year-old stepson.
According to information, the man identified as Prince Dolo sold his two-year-old stepson for US$150, and L$50,000. At the police station, angry citizens followed, aiming to mob him to death. Dolo allegedly carried out the act on Sept. 24 when the child mother was not around.
When the mother returned, and would not find her son, she raised alarm. The community watch forum then apprehended her boyfriend, Dolo and his friend, Siaway Walker, because they were the only ones around when the child went missing.
While going through an interrogation, Dolo confessed that he took the boy and sold him to his friend Walker. Based upon the confession, the Community Watch Forum took the two men to Bahn and turned them over to the Liberia National Police (LNP) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
But, surprisingly on September 25, in the night hours, a group of men, allegedly from Zayglay, went to the Police Station in Bahn, overpowered the police and broke through the holding cell in an attempt to mob the men to death.
“Unfortunately for the gang, before reaching the police station, the two men had already been transferred to Sanniquellie. This angered the mob, who vandalized the police station, causing other detainees to escape,” said Arthur Gweh, Bahn Police Detail Commander.
On Sept. 26, the police backed by the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), went after the mob in Zayglay Town, arresting any young men they could apprehend. The police reaction in Zayglay brought the entire community into a standstill, leaving schools deserted, with many fleeing into the bushes, Rep. Roger Domah disclosed.
The situation still remains tense and uncertain, but the Commander of Nimba Detachment, inspector Warri, confirmed the incident and said it was now under control and those arrested are undergoing investigation in Sanniquellie.
Exactly two months earlier, on July 24, at about 5pm, a little girl over 1 year old went missing in a village called Charles Village, near Whynon Town, along the Ganta-Sanniquellie highway, after she and two her sisters were taken to their aunt to braid their hair, ahead of the July 26 holiday.
According to the police report, the lady who accompanied them for the hair braiding left the girls eating in Charles Village and went back to her village. By the time the woman came back to Charles Village, all the girls had finished braiding their hair. But one of the kids had gone missing, while the other two sisters (minors) were still in the same place in disarray.
Up to present, the missing is yet to be found. In late May, a one-year-old child went missing within the Lao Chiefdom, sparking tension among the citizens. The child’s whereabouts also remain unknown.