-For Alleged Protest Against Detention of Koffa and Others
By Jerromie S. Walters
Officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) have arrested Jangar Kowo, Chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), along with another party supporter, following their alleged involvement in protests against the detention of former House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and several lawmakers.
The arrest occurred near the Monrovia City Police (MCC) Headquarters on UN Drive, Saturday, June 7, 2025, where Kowo and the unidentified male were seen handcuffed and placed into a police vehicle. However, the Police did not state where exactly they were taken.
The detention of Kowo and his associate comes shortly after Cllr. Koffa and three sitting representatives—Dixon Seboe, Abu Kamara, and Jacob Debee II—were remanded to Monrovia Central Prison on Saturday. The lawmakers appeared before the Monrovia City Court to face multiple charges in connection with the December 2024 fire at the Capitol Building. The charges against them include arson, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, attempted murder, criminal facilitation, and conspiracy.
On Friday, the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), and Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) issued a joint statement demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the detained lawmakers.
The opposition coalition accused the government of employing oppressive tactics, citing the prolonged detention of the lawmakers without formal charges as a violation of due process. The statement emphasized that the lawmakers—Honorables J. Fonati Koffa, Dixon W. Seboe, Abu Kamara, and Jacob Debee II—were held at the LNP headquarters for nearly 12 hours on June 6, raising concerns over judicial abuse.
“The government’s actions are not only undemocratic but also pose a direct threat to Liberia’s hard-won peace,” the statement read. “Detaining lawmakers who pose no flight risk, without proper legal procedures, mirrors the authoritarian tactics of past regimes.”
The opposition alliance further argued that the timing of the detentions appeared designed to intimidate political opponents ahead of critical developments in Liberia’s political landscape. While acknowledging the necessity of accountability, the coalition stressed that investigations must remain impartial and free from political interference.
“Summoning lawmakers at dawn and holding them in custody until nightfall, with clear intent to incarcerate them, is not justice—it is persecution,” the statement continued. “Liberia cannot afford to return to an era where the judiciary is weaponized to suppress dissent.”
