By: G. Bennie Bravo Johnson
A court-ordered eviction in Paynesville descended into chaos on September 27, 2025, when bailiffs from the Civil Law Court, led by Sheriff Sieh Collins Jr., attempted to enforce a Writ of Possession on a disputed property located opposite Ma Kebbeh Gas Station, adjacent to EcoBank.
According to eyewitness accounts and court sources, the enforcement team was violently obstructed by residents and tenants allegedly acting under the direction of Mateya M. Toure, Administratrix of the Intestate Estate of the late Mamadee M. Kamara.
The situation escalated when stones were hurled at the officers, leading to physical assaults that left several bailiffs injured. The sheriff and his team were forced to abandon the operation and flee the scene to avoid further harm.
In the wake of the incident, the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court formally communicated with Liberia’s Inspector-General of Police, Col. Gregory Coleman, on October 2, 2025, requesting the deployment of Public Safety Unit (PSU) officers to assist in the lawful enforcement of the Supreme Court’s eviction mandate.
The attempted eviction stems from a high-profile land dispute between the Keita and Kamara estates, a case recently decided in favor of the Keita family by the Supreme Court, which ordered the removal of all unlawful occupants from the property.
Court officials have confirmed that a new eviction attempt will be scheduled with additional security provided.
The Supreme Court of Liberia, through an opinion delivered by Madam Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie, recently upheld the final ruling of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court, affirming the jury’s verdict in a long-standing land dispute between the Intestate Estate of the late Batune Keita, represented by its administrator Mohammed Tanji Keita, and the Intestate Estate of the late Mamadee M. Kamara, represented by administratrix Mateya M. Toure.
In its decision, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the appellants are to be ousted, ejected, and evicted from the appellee’s property, and that possession be restored to the appellee using the metes and bounds outlined in his deed. The Clerk of the Supreme Court has been ordered to issue a Mandate to the lower court to resume jurisdiction and enforce the judgment without further delay.
Background of the Case
The original complaint was filed in 2020 by Mohammed Tanji Keita, who alleged that while his father, Batune Keita, acquired the land in 1989 from Charles S. B. Watkins, the co-appellant, Mamadee M. Kamara, had illegally encroached on and developed two lots of the property.
An investigative survey conducted by Surveyor Samuel W. Danway, Jr., confirmed that the structures erected by the appellants, including EcoBank, were indeed located on the appellee’s property.
During the trial, the appellants challenged the survey, argued ownership dating back to 1974, and questioned the legal standing of the appellee’s power of attorney. However, the Court determined that the evidence and survey findings overwhelmingly favored the appellee.
Key Supreme Court Findings
The Court held that the appellee’s title deed is valid, and that ownership and right to possession were sufficiently proven.
The mother deed was not necessary for the demarcation of the land.
The survey was lawfully conducted, and its findings accurately reflect the encroachment.
The jury’s unanimous verdict was not against the weight of evidence, and the trial judge properly denied the motion for a new trial.
Court Orders Immediate Enforcement
The Supreme Court ordered the Sheriff of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court to proceed with the eviction and place the appellee in possession, using the legal boundaries of the property.
