By: Shallon S. Gonlor |
shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — The Liberia National Police in Gompa, Nimba County, has arrested a second suspect in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 62-year-old woman in the county. Roland Suah, a 33-year-old man, was apprehended following the arrest and incarceration of the first suspect, Romeo Macargo, 32, at the Sanniquellie Central Prison on October 3.
Roland is reportedly linked to a serving LNP officer in the county, now under investigation at the LNP’s headquarters in Monrovia, for allegedly obstructing the arrest process previously. Both suspects are remanded to prison pending Grand Jury indictment and trial at the Sexual Offenses Division Court of the 8th Judicial Circuit in Sanniquellie, Nimba County.
The 62-year-old victim was allegedly gang-raped by several youths, currently on the run, while she was attending a wake-keeping ceremony in Zlangban Street, Gompa City. The incident occurred on September 27, 2025, at around 9:40 p.m., when the victim went to urinate behind a house in a nearby banana bush under the cover of darkness.
The victim recounted the horrifying experience, saying, she was washing dirty dishes at the wake keeping, but she left to go urinate behind a house around a banana bush where a group of boys rushed, grabbed her forcefully, and took her away on a distance in an isolated place, and had sex with her one after another.
“They undressed me. Some hold my mother and put sand inside it. While the others were on my hands and feet. They had sexual intercourse with me both in my vagina and anus,” she narrated without a rolling of tears. She further stated, “They were having sex with me when I was bleeding from my vagina. They left me over, and I was unconscious. Before I could go unconscious, I recognized one of my attackers from his plaited hair like an American plait on his head.”
She added that it was through the grace of God that the community dwellers rescued her from the crime scene and took her to the hospital. First suspect, Romeo Macargo, has denied allegations of gang rape, providing an alibi defense for his whereabouts on the evening of the incident.
According to Macargo, he attended the wake-keeping program on Zlangban Street from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday, accompanied by friends, including George.
“On Friday at 5:00 pm, I went to Zlangban Street for a wake-keeping program. There, I met some of my friends in the program. My friends who were there, including George.” After leaving the program, he claimed to have gone home to Hope Village. “We all were there up to 9:00pm, before I went to bed in the Hope Village,” he said.
The following morning, Macargo stated that he encountered some girls who informed him about an alleged rape that occurred during the wake-keeping program. He claimed to have followed them to the scene, where he stayed for about 45 minutes before leaving. Macargo alleged that community members later surrounded him, accusing him of being one of the perpetrators based on the victim’s description of the attackers having “Da-da” hair.
He denied any involvement in the alleged crime, stating, “As for me, I don’t know about what they are saying. I did not rape anyone.” Roland Suah, another suspect in the alleged gang rape case, has also denied involvement. According to Suah, he went behind a house to urinate during the wake-keeping program and overheard a distress call. “I went behind the house to urinate. There, I heard someone crying, “My people come for me.” I thought that it was a boyfriend and girlfriend fighting.”
Suah claimed he initially thought it was a lovers’ quarrel due to the loud shouting but didn’t investigate further. Instead, he returned to the program and informed a friend, Eman, about the cries for help. Eman, who had flashlights, accompanied Suah back to the area, where they found the elderly woman lying down. “Being that he was having flashlights, two of us went to the area; we saw the old-ma lying down, Eman asked her, but she never explained anything. I saw someone leaving the crime scene, and that person was having long hair like an American plait or ‘Da-da hair.”
Suspect Suah alleged that upon seeing him, Eman accused him of being involved, claiming there was mud on him. “Eman flashed light on me, and he said mud was on me, therefore, I am one of the doers.” Suah denied any wrongdoing, stating that an angry crowd surrounded, undressed, and threatened to kill him after examining his private parts. Meanwhile, a manhunt is underway to apprehend the remaining suspects at large to face the law.
