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By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia – The Executive Protection Service (EPS) has announced it will immediately withdraw security protection from any official or VIP who publicly calls for rebellion, violent protests, or other acts of insurrection against the Liberian state.
“The Executive Protection Service (EPS) wishes to inform the public that it will withdraw security protection from any ViP protectee who publicly advocates for insurrection, rebellion, or violent protest against the Government of Liberia,” an EPS release dated Wednesday, April 30, 2025, reads.
The policy shift comes in response to what the EPS describes as “deeply concerning” public statements by certain officials that allegedly incite chaos and threaten public order. While not naming specific individuals, the security agency made clear that any protectee who engages in such rhetoric will forfeit their right to EPS protection, as such actions directly contradict the agency’s constitutional mandate to safeguard Liberia’s stability.
Recently, Liberia’s former vice president Jewel Howard Taylor was in the news for comments she made during a meeting held by opposition political parties. Many believe it has the propensity to incite violence.
Meanwhile, the EPS provides security for high-ranking officials including the President, Vice President, their families, visiting foreign dignitaries, and other senior government figures as assigned by the President. This protection has traditionally extended to legislators and judges, but the new policy puts all VIPs on notice that their security details could be revoked if they cross this red line.
“A protectee who actively engages in or incites violence or rebellion against the government forfeits the privilege of EPS protection, as such conduct directly contradicts the EPS’ constitutional and operational responsibilities,” the statement notes.
The EPS emphasized that while it remains committed to providing professional protection services, it “cannot and will not be complicit in safeguarding those who seek to undermine the very foundations of the Liberian state.”
The Opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CD ) Secretary General, Jefferson T. Koijee had this to say following the EPS release: “We, the revolutionary forces and conscious community of the opposition, vehemently reject and condemn the shameful, hollow, and politically motivated statement issued by the Executive Protection Service (EPS) under the direction of Sam Gaye a classical joker, a morally bankrupt puppet, and a frail, spineless bureaucrat willing to gamble national integrity at the altar of tyrannical loyalty. The press release dated April 30, 2025, is not only a disgrace to our constitutional order but an outright bluff devoid of legal substance and rooted in cowardice.”
He added, “Let it be known: the opposition community stands in full fledged readiness to provide security for its leadership, supporters, and the general public. We shall not tremble under threats from a decaying system that has weaponized state security to serve thieves and political parasites. The EPS, which is funded by the sweat and sacrifice of the Liberian people, has unfortunately been reduced to a private militia for the blood-stained Unity Party regime. These so-called state protectors are now agents of chaos, moonlighting for a murderer administration desperate to sustain its power through coercion, not consent.”
