Liberia: Musician & His Brother Accused of Killing Motorcyclist Over 5LD in Nimba

Franklin Doloquee, County Correspondent

Sanniquellie, Nimba County – Police in Sanniquellie have arrested a Musician and his brother for allegedly stabbing to death a 23-year-old motorcyclist, Jerrico Suah-Gongah.

The deceased was a customer who had gone to transfer 5 minutes of local calls to his phone.

The incident took place at the Yekepa Parking Station near the Organization of African Unity OAU] in Sanniquellie city.

Speaking to FrontPageAfrica, the two murder suspects confirmed that they were both involved in a fistfight with the deceased who had gone to their business center to conduct a business.

Clinton Zuweh, 18, one of the suspects explained that he was in his booth transferring local minutes when the deceased, a motorcyclist came in to ask for five minutes local calls to be transferred to his phone. “He gives me one-hundred Liberian dollars and after transferring the five minutes to him, I then gave him LD70 change. But the deceased requested additional 5LD change to be added to his money. He said that I should have given him LD75 instead of LD70.”

The suspect, speaking while in handcuffs, under-going treatment and surrounded by police officers, said: ‘‘This is my business price 30LD for five minutes, not 25LD for 5 minutes. While 10 minutes is 50LD because it obtained both minutes for Orange and Lone Star calls.”

Eyewitnesses told an FPA correspondent who visited the scene of the incident that the local booth has the various prices for minutes transfer including five minutes transfer for 25LD. It was the debate over the pricing which led to the fistfight resulting in the motorcyclist’s death.

FrontPageAfrica has gathered that the deceased was requesting for his 5LD change from suspect Clinton Zuweh, 18, when he led to his untimely death.

Suspect Preston Zuweh, 23, a local musician renowned for the hit song, “Palamo, Pass Me the Liquor”, is the senior brother for Clinton Zuweh. He explained that his brother had phoned him to let him know that he had been attacked by the motorcyclist, Jerrico.

Preston says he rushed to the booth to rescue his brother from the motorcyclist, but the deceased did not allow him to make peace. Instead, Preston says he was attacked by the deceased.

The deceased was allegedly stabbed by the two brothers and rushed to the oldest Government Hospital, G. W. Harley Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A mob violence ensued after the motorcyclist’s death leading to the death of more than 20 people.

The two murder suspects – Preston and Clinton Zuweh are currently undergoing medical treatment, along with another resident of Floyd Inland in Sanniquellie, Nimba County. 

The Sanniquellie incident has opened a debate in the county as some residents lamenting that residents in the county have not learned anything from the long-running civil war as mob violence continue to remain the order of the day.

Recently, a 17-year-old, Angela Tomzah was stabbed to death in the Boe Community in Ganta by a man and his wife.