Reports say eighteen houses have been consumed by fire after angry men from nearby Zammie Town, stormed Chenwon Town, District # 1 in River Cess County and set the entire town on fire sparing only a church edifice.
The action of the angry men according to reports was in response to news of the death of a man, Mark Kollie, a resident of Zammie Town, who was allegedly murdered by Saver Bear, another man who resides with his fiancé in Chenwon Town.
Eyewitness accounts say some young men had gathered at the home of one Moses Kpelleh in Bodowhea Town, Monweh Statutory District during the evening hours of March 9, 2022 when argument ensued between the victim and the alleged perpetrator.
According to the report, the disagreement resulted into a fist fight thus leaving to the stabbing of Mark Kollie.
A prominent citizen of Monweh, who is also an official of the ‘Voice of District # 1’, McSimon Garvlehn said upon hearing that their son was killed by a resident of Chenwon Town, the men trooped to the area and set homes on fire leaving only a church untouched.
“The incidence occurred at evening time, 9pm, when group of young people converged at Moses Kpelleh’s house in Bodowhea Town, having their normal evening conversations. In an event where an argument between the two escalated, the alleged killer, Saver Bear and the victim, Mark Kollie, Alias Mark Thousand confronted each other into a fight that led to Saver Bear to have stabbed him to death! It’s reported that Saver Bear usually resides in Chenwon Town at his girlfriend’s house, even though, both are citizens of Kploh. Upon hearing that Kollie was killed by Saver Bear, a group of angry citizens from Kploh, Zammie Town to be specific, came in retaliation to his death and burned down Chenwon Town (18 houses) and left several persons homeless, including the loss of other properties and cash”, Mr. Garvlehn narrated.
Garvlehn said the situation has led to a serious humanitarian crisis, as homeless residents have nowhere to be sheltered, while calling for humanitarian intervention.
“The Leadership of the Voice of District 1, River Cess County is soliciting help/assistance from the general public to reach out to its citizens being made homeless, as a result of a recent incidence that led to the death of one person and 18 houses being burned down to ashes in Chenwon Town, Monweh”
Earlier, River Cess County Senator Wellington Geevon Smith, just retuned from the area, described as unfortunate the arson attack on Chenwon Town. Senator Geevon-Smith, who claimed to have gathered facts that the scene of the ‘unfortunate’ incident is a center for drug users in the district, said there was a need for national government to drastically deal with the issue of drug.
“Trokon, drug is the main cause of the problem there. I’m saying it because people told me. Drug addiction is becoming a serious national emergency and its time we as government tackle it now”.
According to the senator, the humanitarian situation of the homeless residence needs the immediate attention of national government, while promising to bring the attention of the matter to the plenary of the Liberian Senate.
“Our people are in serious distress. No cooking utensils, no clothes to wear. There’s no food and shelter for them”.
Meanwhile, River Cess District # 1 Representative, Madam Rosana G. D. H. Schaack has put the number of affected people at 151.
“Of this number, women account for 45; children, 36 and people with disabilities account for 5”, the lawmaker said in a telephone interview on Tuesday March 15, 2022.
