-For His Involvement In Gang Rape of a Pregnant Woman
BY SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — A 27-year-old man, Prince Nyan has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sexual Offenses Division Court at the 8th Judicial Circuit in Sanniquellie, Nimba County after being convicted of gang-raping a 29-year-old pregnant woman.
Resident Judge, Musa S. Sidibey delivered the court’s final judgment and sentencing on Monday, June 9, 2025 based on trial jurors unanimous guilty verdict returned on May 30, 2025.
The court record reveals that Prince Nyan was part of a group of twelve who allegedly raped the woman, who was seven months pregnant at the time and working as a private security officer for Loyal Protective Guard Services (LPGS), a security firm in Gbapa Town, Nimba County District#2. The convict, Prince Nyan along with ten others, attempted to steal fuel from the mountains where ArcelorMittal Liberia operates. It was during this crime that the group encountered the victim and subjected her to a brutal gang rape on May 15, 2024.
The court latest decision however beings to three the number of defendants who have faced justice, adjudged guilty and convicted to life in prison in the felonies crime. On Thursday, September 19, 2024, the Sexual Offense Division Court handed down the first major verdict in the case, sentencing two men, Emmanuel F. Saye, 26, and Emmanuel Nyanplue, 20, to life imprisonment following a unanimous guilty verdict reached by trial jurors.
The Ministry of Justice filed before the court on July 22, 2024, an indictment charging Ojuku Zuu, Emmanuel F. Saye, Prince Nyan (First Sunday), Emmanuel Nyanplue, Abednego Albert, Nyansuah alias “God-There”, and others to be identified with the commission of the crime of gang rape, a felony of the first degree. The document alleged substantially that the defendants acting in concert and possession of cutlasses raided the Mont Tokadeh mines on May 15, 2024, at 3:00 a.m., and took hostage the victim, “RD” and her supervisor, Patrick L. Yarmie who were serving as security guards.
It further stated that the defendants criminally and intentionally harassed and flogged the victim, 29, inserting their hands and penes into her vagina one after the other. After having multiple sexual intercourse with the victim who was crying for help, the defendants fled from the crime scene carrying with them the victims’ phones, AML yellow machines batteries, and fuel oil.
Following the incident, the victim was taken to the Yekepa Medical Center and later transferred to the G. W. Harley Hospital. Upon receipt of the complaint, the police launched its investigation and arrested some of the defendants while others remain at large, and defendant Nyan Suah admitted to the police that Abednego Albert and his brother-in-law had sexual intercourse with the victim.
On May 19, 2025, the court arraigned the defendant Prince Nyan and ascertained his plea, to which he pled not guilty and joined issues with the State.
The court then ordered the trial jury empaneled, and after that, the Public Defense Counsel representing the defendant moved the court for a separate trial. The application was granted under sections 2.4 and 16.10 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
During the trial, the state prosecutor paraded four witnesses, while the defendant paraded two witnesses.
In his ruling Monday, June 9, 2025, Judge Sidibey said the doctrine of precedent which articulates the rule that precedents not only have persuasive authority but also must be followed when similar circumstances arise.
Emphasizing his ruling, Judge Sidibey relied on the presentence investigative report of the Division of Probation of the Ministry of Justice filed with the court as mandated, which he said report informs the court that the defendant was interviewed and that he admitted being part of the gang that raided the Mont Tokadeh mines but denied raping the victim.
The court found it worth quoting pertinent parts of the probation report as follows: “Defendant Prince Nyan explained and admitted to probation officers at the Sanniquellie Central Prison (SCP) during an interview on June 4, 2025, that he was among a gang (Emmanuel Saye, Emmanuel Nyanplue, Abednego, Albert Nyansuah and others) to be identified that went up the mines in ArcelorMittal control area, on May 15, 2024, under the cover of darkness to steal fuel and batteries from heavy equipment that were parked there.
Defendant Prince Nyan further narrated that he went along with six (6) men up the mines at the “Construction Mining Company (CMC)” site at Mount Tokadeh, operated by Arcelor Mittal Liberia (AML) to steal fuel and heavy duty batteries. Defendant Prince Nyan stated that while up the mines, he was aware that some of his friends raped one of the officers (R.D.) who was on duty that night. According to defendant Prince Nyan, some of his friends committed the crime of ‘Gang Rape’ and took the victim’s phone in the process. The defendant (Prince Nyan) told the Probation Officers that he was the one who returned R.D.’s (victim) phone to her.
In defendant Prince Nyan’s explanation to Probation Officers, the defendant said he denied the charge of Gang Rape during the trial because, according to him, when he was arrested by LNP officers, he [was] badly beaten and the victim (R.D.) also made the direct accusation in court that he was one of those who raped her. On June 4, 2025, Probation Officers of the Ministry of Justice visited Gbapa town, on Yekepa highway where a gang mobilized before going up to the AML operating area to steal and in the process committed the crime of gang rape.”
The court judgment meanwhile adjudged guilty and sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment to be served at the Sanniquellie Central Prison. “Wherefore and in view of the foregoing, the unanimous guilty verdict of the jury is affirmed, and the defendant is adjudged guilty of the commission of the crime of gang rape. The defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment,” Judge Sidibey said.
He ruled that the court holds the offense committed by the defendant in concert with others was attended by aggravating circumstances that warrant the imposition of the maximum penalty prescribed by law. But responding to the ruling, Defendants Counsel, Cllr. Tarlo Wehyee took exception to the ruling and announced an appeal to the high court, the Supreme Court of Liberia sitting in its October Term, A.D. 2025 to take advantage of the statute controlling.
