-LDEA Disrobes Officers for Assaulting Suspect
MONROVIA – Two officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) have been stripped of their duties and are under investigation after a video of them violently assaulting a female suspect circulated widely on social media Tuesday, sparking immediate public condemnation.
The graphic footage shows a male officer, identified as Solomon Gbondo, aggressively slapping the restrained woman in the face. Within seconds, a female officer, Faith Willie, delivers another severe slap before shoving the suspect toward a detention area.
Facing intense backlash, the LDEA moved swiftly to distance itself from its officers’ actions. In a statement issued Tuesday evening, the agency condemned the assault “in the strongest possible terms,” calling it a direct violation of its code of conduct.
“The officers involved have been immediately disrobed and turned over to the Board of Internal Inquiry and Professional Standards for investigation and appropriate disciplinary action,” the statement read. “There is absolutely no room for abuse of power within the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.”
The incident has reignited a fraught national conversation about police brutality and the abuse of authority in Liberia, where such acts by law enforcement are frequently alleged but rarely captured so vividly.
The scandal comes just one month after President Joseph Nyuma Boakai explicitly warned LDEA officers against overstepping their mandate. At a cabinet retreat in Tubmanburg, the President cautioned that enforcement powers must not become a “hunting license” to intimidate citizens.
“The badges you wear are not a hunting license,” Boakai stated in March. “Results must be seen in the things you do, not in abuses of authority.” He stressed that the drug fight must prioritize rehabilitation and security, “not physical or emotional harm to citizens.”
The LDEA, established under the Ministry of Justice, has been lauded for recent successes in intercepting narcotics and dismantling networks. However, the agency operates under well-documented constraints, including limited funding, inadequate training, porous borders, and persistent allegations of corruption.
While the agency’s swift disciplinary action is notable, critics argue it highlights a systemic problem that requires more than reactive measures. The LDEA concluded its statement by urging public cooperation, providing hotline numbers for reporting suspicious activities, even as trust in the agency faces a new test.
The Board of Internal Inquiry’s findings will now determine the final consequences for Officers Gbondo and Willie, in a case that has become a stark benchmark for accountability in Liberian law enforcement.
