The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
April 2, 2021

Female Protesters of Pleebo-Sodoken District Trek to Harper to Seek Justice

The peace-loving people of Harper unexpectedly on a dull and cloudy Sunday evening in 1977 were forced to go to bed without LEC-powered lights. There were signs of rain on that Sunday, but the rain never came. The city was engulfed by a dark cloud. The day was for the most part hazy. Religious faithfuls went to their various places of worship in reverence to Our Creator. Some of the folks whose hands were later allegedly caught in the cookies jar even sadly attended Divine Worship Service. Such are the wicked hearts of humankind folks.

By early the next Monday morning in the very year, students of Methodist-run J.S. Pratt Elementary School found the mutilated body of a renowned local Kru drummer, Moses Tweh lifeless with several parts extracted. Gush! What! Harper City was on edge as murmurs, whispers and speculations started to become rife. Prior to the gruesome death of Moses Tweh, the people of the Grand Cess community in Harper City launched a massive manhunt after he had gone missing while at sea.

One account said the canoe he was paddling along with others while on a fishing expedition capsized; and another account claimed he just disappeared at sea. Mysterious, isn’t it? In the midst of the manhunt ending in futility and desperately enraged by such act of barbarism, the grisly and mindless killing of another man, the kin and kith of Moses Tweh increased their pursuit or as it was expanded their consultations that included citizens of the Grand Cess Community in Monrovia.

The outrage of the Grand Cess folks was arguably incensed by the outright lackluster on the part of local county officials to attach some degree of seriousness to the insane killing of Moses Tweh. Undoubtedly, they aggressively took the matter to another level. The audience was sought with the late President William R. Tolbert regarding a compelling need for immediate intervention. The courtesy call of the high-powered Grand Cess delegation on the late President Tolbert paid off and heads started to roll.

Critics of the manner and form adopted to make massive arrest and detention of suspects including former local government officials argued that the methods were unscientific, outside of the stature, and could not be admissible in court. The critics further argued that the fundamental rights of the suspects were violated by the government. However, government lawyers counter-argued that the brutal murder of the deceased was a violation of his basic fundamental civil liberties and that he had a right to life, which should never have been taken under such spine-chilling circumstances. When the guilty verdict was rendered at the Fourth Judiciary Circuit in Harper, Maryland, an appeal was sought at the Honorable Supreme Court of the Republic. The verdict of the Fourth Circuit Court was upheld by the Supreme Court and on February 16, 1979, six Marylanders were hanged on the gallows.

Stunningly, the hanging had appeared like a war zone. President William R. Tolbert drafted scores of battle-readied troops as well as paramilitary law enforcement operatives. It was a sad day for Maryland County though. But was justice done to end a nightmare? Farfetched in all respect!

When Marylander reckoned February 16, 1979, hanging was the beginning and end to ritualistic killings, they were mistaken. Seven years down the line (1986), we were back at square one. Two kids, at about 6 and 7 went missing mysteriously while a Cultural Troupe from Grand Gedeh was making rounds across Harper ahead of a major performance at the Harper City Hall. The kids were children of two opposite neighbors in downtown Reevy Street, Harper City. It was alleged a neighbor of the ritualistically sacrificed kids mysteriously kidnapped the two boys in the midst of a human avalanche as the visiting Cultural Troupe was performing. Horrifyingly, no one would ever imagine that supposedly a friendly neighbor could resort to such frightening madness. Such is the evil in a man’s heart though.  

The scary, concerning cum mysterious disappearance of those kids then led to a series of mass citizens’ meetings at the Harper administrative building. At the meeting, citizen after citizen called for radical action to ensure appropriate remedial outcome to find the missing kids. Grief-stricken parents including a local nurse who worked at the J.J. Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper and the local Customs Inspector had become consumed by so much fear, uncertainty, and wailing.

With little or no action while the late Superintendent, David WA Hne, Sr. was on an official visit to Monrovia; irate students hastily convened a mass meeting at the Merry-go-round in the city center and resolved on a mass demonstration. Members of the student community of the then William V.S. Tubman College of Science and Technology (W.V.S.T.C.S.T.), who did not later directly participate in the series of protests, which followed however provided revolutionary guidance ahead of the student-led demonstration.

In their strategic planning, student leaders from all high schools started a Jehovah Witness-styled cum converts-winning visits to various high schools in Harper District – demanding solidarity support as it were. When they had adequately mobilized categorical support from schools across the Harper District enclave; students formed columns and moved in single file positions from East, West, North, and South – chanting: “We shall overcome! Bojo! We shall overcome Bojo! The Bojo killing us! We shall overcome someday!” Some students marched to the Harper administrative building, while another group of students marched through the principal streets of the city. The students barricaded the seat of the local administration where mainly local officials were camping. There was a game plan amid whispers and murmurs about alleged suspects. On the grounds of the administration building, the local chairman of the then ruling National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) official party vehicle was set ablaze by unknown persons in the midst of a mammoth crowd. Strange commando-styled arson attack if you may.

One by one, a militant student unit embarked on a citizens’ arrest tactic and summarily bundled up mostly leaders of the local administration the exception of Superintendent David Wah Hne, Sr. who had no fish to fry in such diabolical action intent on taking another human’s life for fame and influence. Those rounded up through the citizens’ arrest were turned over to local law enforcement.

In 2009, Maryland was at it again following the mysterious killing of a pregnant woman in Harper. Josephus Moses Gray wrote via The Perspective: “Some panic-stricken inhabitants of the southeastern county of Maryland, mainly in Harper city, over the weekend took the law into their hands when they staged a violent protest over the wave of ritualistic killings which has resurfaced in the area. The county is noted for ritualistic killings, despite serious actions taken over the years by the Liberian government – by putting perpetrators to death…”

The barbaric incident led to the arrest of former Interior Minister and Maryland Superintendent cum Ambassador-at-Large H. Dan Morias, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and former Maryland County Attorney Cllr Fulton Yancy, Current Acting Superintendent Hodo Clarke, current Port Manager Wallace, along with at least six persons were arrested. Cllr, Fulton Mansfield Yancy was released for lack of credible evidence. Although the eight others as well as former senator Dan Morias were since released, the case, which was transferred to the Temple of Justice in Monrovia remains inconclusive.

The Late Mondicious Nyemah

Some 12 years on (2021), the trappings of Maryland-incensed Bojo madness have resurrected. Strangely, this time amid Harper seemingly left off the hook; Pleebo District has hit the newsstand and is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Multiple accounts from faraway southeastern Liberia say barbaric elements are at it again for ritualistic purposes.
   
Local journalist, Christopher Appleton who contacted ‘A Patriotic Diary’ confirmed the alleged murder purportedly for ritualistic reasons of a motorcyclist identified as ‘Mondicious Nyemah,’ which has sparked a protest by the people of Maryland, calling for justice. The victim, a 12th Grade student of Pleebo High School was allegedly killed with body parts missing. A suspect is currently in police custody while scores of motorcyclists and peaceful citizens are protesting for justice to be done. Unconfirmed reports have it the local prison in Harper was attacked by protesters. That has not been independently verified. In a related development, a human chain of protesters is on the move in Pleebo demanding justice for the murdered 12th Grader.

The last time we heard about Bojo, recently, was during the recent County Tour in Nimba County when President George Weah sought to position a cutlass under his arm and told the story about what he and others did back in the days to ward-off any eventuality emanating from the presence of Bojo. During his visit to Maryland, an unconfirmed report had it that another 12th Grade student committed suicide owing to a lack of support to fund his education. While the suicide has no connection to the President’s visit, regrettably it did not find its way on any of the pages of local newspapers amid the huge presence of media managers on the visit.

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About the Author
Ekena Wesley
Paynesville City
Monrovia, Liberia
Two Times Award-Winning Columnist
+231-770-846-052/+231-886-846-052

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