-As he awaits trial
BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — The Sanniquelllie City Magisterial Court has remanded Suspect Augustine Gaye, 45, at the Sanniquelllie Central Prison to await trial for allegedly murdering a Burkinabe National, Badu Abulie in the forest of Dewoblee in Kparblee District, Lower Nimba. Mr. Gaye allegedly shot and killed Badu in the forest with a single-barrel gun while he(Badu) was cooking for his fellow workers.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Residents of Old Yourpea accused Gaye of being responsible for the death because he returned from the forest without the gun he had earlier carried to hunt.
He was also accused of being the only person who went into the bush to hunt on the day of the incident.
During the police investigation, Mr. Gaye denied any link to the shooting and also denied owning a gun after several residents of Old Yourpea said they saw him going into the forest with a single-barrel gun to hunt monkeys but returned without the gun from the forest.
The suspect claimed that the only gun he had was given to his friend in Ivory Coast in March of this year, noting that the allegations that he went in the bush to hunt were “false and misleading”.
But a police investigation established that the friend who the suspect claimed to have given his gun died five years ago and that his claim was not factual.
The police investigation also established that the suspect and the Burkinabes laborers in the area have always conflicted about their (Burkinabes ) presence in the forest. Gaye was forwarded to the Sanniquelllie City Magisterial Court on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, by the Liberia National Police in Sanniquelllie after he was charged with murder.
The birth:
About a week ago, Badu Abulie was killed in a forest area within Lower Nimba County, Liberia. The tragic incident occurred in the bush between Dewoblee Town and Old Yourpea Town, in the Kparblee District. According to reports, the victim was cooking food for his fellow workers when the assailant struck. He was alone at the time.
By the time others arrived at the scene, the attacker had fled, and the victim had already passed away from his injuries. The motive behind the attack is still unclear. The deceased was laid to rest. Following the incident, police in Nimba County began investigating six people from Kparblee District in connection with the incident.
Among those being investigated were Augustine Gaye.
Some residents of Old Yourpea told police investigation that before the incident, Augustine Gaye was seen with a single barrel going in the bush to hunt, but returned from the bush without the gun after it was reported that an unknown person discharged a gun that killed a Burkinabe
Mr. Gaye denied owning a gun. He said for over six months, he had not gone in the bush to hunt so the accusations from the residents were “false and misleading”. About a decade ago, a significant influx of Burkinabes migrated from the neighboring Ivory Coast to various towns and villages within District Number 6 in Nimba, seeking opportunities in farming.
This situation stirred tensions among residents and the Burkinabe population. The Burkinabes entered Liberia through Nimba County, responding to an invitation from farmers in Kparblee, District Number 6. These farmers, who routinely cross into Ivory Coast for trade purposes, enlisted the Burkinabes to assist in agricultural endeavors within Liberia.
Tensions have been escalating in Kparblee due to the divergence of opinions regarding the Burkinabes’ presence. While some citizens oppose their involvement, others are extending land for the cultivation of crops. Notably, the Burkinabe immigrants are reportedly residing in Liberia without the knowledge or oversight of the Liberia Immigration Services (LIS) officers assigned to the county.
Many of these foreign workers are actively engaged in cultivating cash crops, predominantly cocoa, within various forests.
