BONG CO., LIBERIA — Family members of the burnt police commander, Morhafee Jabbateh, who was injured in the Totota tanker explosion, have vowed to protest at the grounds of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Headquarters and the Executive Mansion.
In December 2023, a tanker was involved in an accident in Totota, causing it to veer off the road and topple over. As citizens gathered to siphon fuel from the tanker, it exploded, leaving several dead and many injured. Commander Morhafee Jabbateh of the LNP in Totota was burned while helping to rescue citizens during the explosion. Since the incident, the government of Liberia has allegedly abandoned him in the county.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on May 23, 2024, in Gbarnga, Bong County, Ayouba Doumuyah, commonly known as “Uncle D,” assured citizens that they, as family members of Morhafee Jabbateh, would organize a massive protest regarding his worsening health condition.
He alleged that since the accident, the government of Liberia has failed to address Commander Morhafee Jabbateh’s health issues, despite medical advice to transfer him to India for advanced treatment. Speaking in a very angry mood, Ayouba Doumuyah said the pending protest aims to draw the government’s and humanitarian organizations’ attention to their ailing brother, who was performing his duties when he was injured in the Totota tanker explosion.
He stated that if the government of President Joseph N. Boakai does not intervene in his brother’s health condition, they will protest to inform the international community about what they perceive as bad governance in Liberia. Doumuyah added, “If anything happens to our brother, we will sue the Liberian government.”
Mr. Ayouba Doumuyah also expressed disappointment in the leadership of the Bong County Legislative Caucus for their handling of the LNP officer’s health issues in the county.
