GANTA, Nimba – The Superintendent of Nimba County, Fong Zuagele, in collaboration with Ganta’s Mayor Benjamin S. Dokpa, has pronounced an immediate curfew in the city of Ganta.

The curfew, which started at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, will continue for the next two days and will be observed from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. For the duration of the curfew, all public gatherings will be banned although normal business activities are permitted between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The imposition of the curfew comes as a result of violent activities that erupted in Ganta on Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Members of the motorcyclist union in Ganta went on a rampage after discovering the lifeless body of one of their members. The body was found in a cassava patch between the Ganta Methodist football field and the community commonly referred to as “404 Community.”

The victim, identified as Nyah Domah, was found early Wednesday morning in a pool of blood with several wounds on his head and other parts of his body. Nathan, as he is commonly called, is believed to be in his 30s and hailed from the town of Gipo.

The motorcyclists, in collaboration with other Ganta residents, looted and set ablaze properties in Ganta belonging to Prince Howard, owner of the Alvino hotel and Chairman of the steering committee of the county’s soccer team.

Howard was identified by two individuals, believed to be the culprits in the murder, as the person who sent them to commit the crime. One of the individuals, identified only as “Bill,” is currently in the custody of the Liberian National Police. The other, said to be a Sierra Leonean national, has been beaten to death by the angry mob. Identified only as “JT Money,” his body currently lies along the Ganta-Guinea Road.

Howard has said he is innocent of the alleged crimes, adding, “I do not know anything about the death of the boy they are talking about. I am innocent…”

Wednesday’s incident is not an isolated event. Motorcyclists in Ganta were already grieving over the brutal killing of Cephus Youan, who went missing for three days and was later found dead, with body parts missing. His body was located between the towns of Blown and Wahla, along the Saclepea highway.

On social media, Liberians have attributed the murder to ritualistic killing, a practice whereby human body parts are used in rituals to increase one’s wealth and power. As the 2017 election season draws near, there is expected to be an increase in ritualistic killings as political aspirants jostle for positions. The justice system’s lack of accountability in pursuing perpetrators of crimes enables these crimes to continue.

For now, officers in the Police Support Unit have been deployed around the city of Ganta to ensure the observance of the curfew.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah