MONROVIA: In the face of the harsh economic situation in the country, coupled with the increasing rate of lawlessness, Monrovia, Liberia’s Capital, and its environs is fast becoming risky at day and night hours.
Both citizens and residents, including owners of businesses have, in recent times, expressed fear as it relates to the activities of criminals that roam the principal streets, brandishing sophisticated and other dangerous weapons including guns, knives, cutlasses, scissors, cutters, steel rod, among others.
Residents said the marauding criminals, under the cover of darkness, often parade residential communities where law enforcement officers including members of the Liberia National Police (LNP), are grossly limited.
According to residents of various communities, the activities of the criminals on the streets both day and night are creating apprehension and sense of insecurity in the minds of many people.
The gangsters often highjack innocent people including workers, marketers, students and others, making away with their valuable personal belongings such as handbags, mobile phones, money, watches, chains, rings, goods among others.
Several residents who spoke to The INDEPENDENT said they are finding it difficult to live in peace or be outdoor during late night hours.
According to them, since the beginning of the current rainy season, there has been an increase in armed robbery activities in and around Monrovia.
Night and early day workers including media workers are worried due to the sharp increment in the number of criminal activities in recent times.
It is unclear whether or not the Liberia National Police has returned to its previous 24hrs operations including the patrol of major crimes infested areas in and around Monrovia.
Efforts by this paper to talk with the Spoke person of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Madam Cecelia Clarke as to whether the Police has resumed its previous 24hrs operations could not materialize up to press time yesterday as her mobile phone rang several times without any response.
During night hours, it is rare for many persons to see LNP officers patrolling the principal streets of the city and its nearby communities, as some security personnel who spoke with this paper attributed the situation to lack of logistics and communication equipment.
Apart, the Police has been complaining about logistics and additional budgetary support from the Central Government to help fight the rising criminal activities in the country.
Peter James, a student of the state-owned University of Liberia told this paper yesterday that residents of Monrovia and its surroundings currently live at the mercy of notorious criminals who terrorized peaceful citizens with all types of lethal weapons.
Some residents in the Central Monrovia, Gardnesville, Barnesville, New Georgia, Chicken Soup Factory, Johnsonville, Paynesville, Kesselley Boulevard, Dixville, Gurley Street, Center Street, Broad Street, Johnson Street, Waterside, among other communities, are victims of regular attacks by criminals.
In Paynesville, the criminals are using cutlasses to attach motorcyclists and take their bikes away at night hours.
Dave Kerkula, a motorcyclist informed this paper that criminals have been attacking them at night and hijacking their motorbikes.
Motorcyclist Kerkula further said he is not the only victim of such criminal attack, as several of his friends have over the months fallen victims to criminals.
Andrew Sawsaw, another motorcyclist residing in Sinkor Old Road Community also explained his sad encounter with individuals who he later detected to be criminals from ‘540 Community’ in Congo Town to the Rehab Community in Paynesville.
He said upon their arrival at the back of the African Dream Academy in Rehab, Paynesville, another individual who pretended to be a motorcyclist joined the two men who were riding with him, and subsequently attacked him with cutlasses.
The criminal trio subsequently made away with his motorbike that he purchased less than three months ago.
At New Georgia Junction on the Freeway, criminals often gathered at various strategic locations in a bid to attack peaceful citizens for their personal belongings.
The criminals often harm anyone who dares to resist them with any dangerous weapon.
Reports also had it that the criminals often infiltrate various entertainment spots in and around the city, looking for vulnerable people to possibly hijack. Some of the marauding criminal gangs use tinted vehicles without license plates aimed at hiding their actual identities from state security personnel.
For instance, people are harassed or attacked on main Broad Street in Central Monrovia, once it is beyond 8pm, and dare to see police during that hour.
Our reporter who has been monitoring the situation in and around Monrovia, was attacked recently in the Chicken Factory Community while heading for home from work.
Our Reporter said (name Withheld), he was flogged and his wallet including working tools (mobile phone) was taken away by the criminals with deadly weapons on August 27, 2024 after work.
However, despite the low logistics of Police, some residents of Monrovia are calling on the LNP to at least deploy officers of the Police Support Unit (PSU) of the Liberia National Police in strategic locations to reduce the scary criminal activities in and around the city.
At the same time, the hand-bag of a lady believed to be in her 40s was on Sunday, September 1, 2024, hijacked at the corner of Broad & Johnson Streets between the hour of 1-2pm.
The discouraging situation is being increased by the prevailing high rate of unemployment and poverty in the country that is being fueled by white-collar crimes such as corruption, bribery, money laundering, among others in Liberia’s recent history.
