GANTA, Nimba – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in her annual executive clemency exercise, has ordered the release of five citizens of Nimba who were linked to the 2013 destruction of properties belonging to ArcelorMittal.

The Liberian constitution allows Sirleaf to grant clemency to individuals convicted of all public offenses except treason.

Accordingly, five of the 11 persons convicted by the Buchanan Magisterial Court in 2014 for vandalizing properties belonging to the world steel giant at its Zolowee operational site were released and reunited with their families throughout Nimba.

The brief ceremony took place at the Buchanan Central Prison in Grand Bassa. Nimba’s assistant superintendent for development, Dorr Cooper, and Armstrong Selekpoh, the national chairman for the Nimba Education Guard, received the five pardoned Nimbaians on behalf of the county.

“Well, first of all, I want to give my thanks and appreciation to the almighty God that finally, the president was able to listen to the appeals from the people of Nimba,” Selekpoh said.

According to Selekpoh, it was Cooper, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Tiawan Gongloe, and other prominent citizens of Nimba who worked behind the scenes to advocate for the release of the convicts.

“I traveled with the development superintendent and we went first to the Monrovia Central Prison, and then to the Justice Ministry, and finally to Grand Bassa, where we had five of the convicts released,” Selekpoh said. “Those released were Wuo Gbala, Yei Dokie, Theresa Gono, Peter Zuah and Jimmy Zuah.”

Selekpoh noted that upon arrival, the pardoned were reunited with their families in different parts of the county. He added that there are five more individuals connected to the Zolowee crime that are still serving their sentences. The Nimba County Administration and other groups are still working to have them released and reunited with their families, he said.

Featured photo courtesy of European Union/European Parliament