-Demolition in Sinkor Leaves Many Homeless
By Jerromie S. Walters
At daybreak on Saturday, residents of 4th and 5th Streets in Monrovia were awakened not by morning light, but by the roar of bulldozers and the shouting of officials ordering them to vacate homes many had lived in for decades. By 7 a.m., families watched helplessly as their belongings were thrown into the street and their houses demolished under a controversial court order, leaving hundreds homeless and sparking outcry over the legal legitimacy of the eviction.
The demolition followed a prolonged and complicated land dispute involving the Johnson and Bishop families, but residents insist the individual who enforced the court ruling—Eric Nagbe—has no legitimate claim to the property. According to affected homeowners, Nagbe alleges he purchased the land in 2011 from the late Jessie Pine, who once served as administrator for the Johnson family during earlier litigation.
However, residents counter that they have owned and occupied their homes since as early as the 1970s, with documented purchases dating back to 1997–98.
“Eric Nagbe never showed any of us documents to prove he bought this place from Jessie Pine,” said one resident, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. “We’ve lived here for generations.”
An affected resident, Jamaima Tweh noted: “So yesterday morning by 5:00am, we woke up to PSU officials and sheriff from the court saying we should pack our things because they were given a mandate to destroy our homes without prior warning or notice.
We asked questions but, no answers and we pleaded with them so they could at least give us time to properly pack our things but they ignore us saying “it’s the court order.” We lost our homes , people lost their properties and some was brutalized.”
Legal questions have arisen over whether Pine had the authority to sell the land. Residents argue that Pine was merely a spokesperson and administrator for the Johnson family, not the owner, and therefore any sale he conducted should be considered invalid. “Even if he bought it from Pine, Pine was not the owner—he was an administrator. The land belongs to the Johnson family,” another evictee explained.
The property’s history is further complicated by sales made separately by both the Johnson and Bishop families, who are said to be distantly related. Some residents acknowledged receiving an eviction notice from Nagbe two years ago but never believed the situation would escalate to demolition.
Residents gathered amid scattered furniture and personal items on the roadside. One elderly man held a frayed property deed dated 1976. “My father bought this place in 1976. How can someone who says he bought it in 2011 come and throw us out like animals?” he cried. “We have nowhere to go. This is not justice—this is cruelty.”
As of press time, Eric Nagbe could not be reached for comment. The court document authorizing the demolition has not been made publicly available, raising transparency concerns.
Compensation and Blames:
Montserrado County District #8 Representative, Prince Toles, has announced the allocation of more than LRD 3.5 million to compensate residents affected by a demolition exercise. In a formal statement addressing the incident, Rep. Toles described the event as “unfortunate” and extended his sympathy to those affected. He detailed that the secured funds are intended to support verified victims and stated that his office, in collaboration with community leaders, will compile an accurate list of beneficiaries before disbursements begin next week.
Toles further noted that his office is mobilizing additional support for the impacted community members. The demolition has ignited sharp criticism from the district’s former representative, Acarous Moses Gray, who framed the event as a consequence of current failed leadership. “When we were in office, we stood firm with our people,” Gray asserted. “Through negotiation with legitimate landowners and the government, we prevented such untold neglect and suffering in Saye Town, Worwein, Buzzi Quarters, and Slipway.”
Gray recounted successfully intervening in a similar planned demolition during his tenure by pleading the case of long-term residents, some occupying the land for over 50 years. “We achieved an amicable resolution then,” he stated. “Contrast that with today, where a failed representation has neglected these people. Mere physical presence with the crying mothers and children was necessary. District #8 bleeds profusely from a lack of genuine leadership.”
Gray also raised alarms about a broader government plan for mass demolitions along the Du River corridor, from Slipway to 12th Street, alleging the process comes with “little or no resettlement package.” He called on the current representative to shift from displacement to advocacy, urging the construction of low-income housing. “The government has a constitutional mandate, not a choice, to protect its citizens, and that protection includes providing shelter,” he argued.
While stating he is not “anti-development,” Gray criticized the apparent selectivity of the demolition campaigns. “Why are homes and fences built on alleyways in Sinkor’s beach side left untouched, while the poverty-stricken land side is targeted? Why is the Tubman Building near City Hall or the Methodist Compound on 14th Street not facing the same fate?” He claimed his past “logical debates” with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration halted similar actions against defenseless citizens.
Promising future action, Gray declared, “We will find a day to march independent media through the district to verify these claims of selective demolition with visual evidence.” He concluded with a pointed remark: “Such is the time and such is the condition.”
