MONROVIA – The Students Unification Party (SUP) has intensified its calls for reform within the Liberia National Police (LNP), demanding the immediate dismissal of Inspector General Gregory Coleman and Police Support Unit (PSU) Monrovia Battalion Commander Malachi S. Kolubah. SUP has also urged the Boakai administration to launch a thorough investigation into allegations of human rights abuses by the police.
In a strongly-worded statement, the campus-based political organization declared it has lost confidence in the LNP’s ability to safeguard citizens, citing incidents of violence and police brutality under Coleman’s leadership. SUP has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission to probe the actions of Coleman and his officers, particularly their alleged role in suppressing peaceful protests and violating students’ rights.
SUP has accused the police under Coleman’s command of becoming a tool of oppression, targeting civilians and students who voice opposition to the administration. The group referred to the LNP as a “killing machine,” citing several violent incidents, including the King Jor massacre, the shooting of a minor by a PSU officer on the Robertsfield Highway, the killing of a police officer in Nimba County over a minor dispute, and the brutal suppression of University of Liberia students on November 18, 2024.
On November 18, SUP alleges, the police launched a violent assault on unarmed students peacefully protesting against the abrupt closure of the University of Liberia, which has deprived over 22,000 students of their education. According to SUP, the attack was ordered by IG Coleman and turned the university campus into a “scene of barbarism and terror.” The group argued that this assault violated Liberia’s 1986 Constitution and international human rights laws, including provisions on peaceful assembly and the right to education.
SUP further alleged that police officers pursued students into surrounding neighborhoods, where they inflicted additional violence. The organization also claimed that Coleman has recruited untrained individuals and former rebels into the police force, contributing to what it described as the LNP’s descent into “gangsterism.”
SUP specifically accused PSU Commander Malachi S. Kolubah of orchestrating the torture of student leaders detained during the November 18 protest. According to SUP, Kolubah directed PSU officers to abuse the detainees by beating them, cutting their hair, and forcing them to strip naked—acts the group called dehumanizing and a gross violation of human rights.
“Malachi Kolubah must be immediately dismissed and investigated for his unprofessional and abusive conduct,” the group said. It further alleged that PSU officers used excessive force during the arrests, brutalizing students in full view of journalists and the public without regard for their rights or dignity.
SUP described the actions of the LNP as a return to Liberia’s “dark days” of human rights violations, demanding an impartial investigation by the Human Rights Commission into the police’s conduct. The group vowed to continue advocating for justice and holding perpetrators of police violence accountable.
“The rights of Liberians are being trampled in broad daylight,” SUP stated, emphasizing the urgency of addressing police misconduct. Amid increasing concerns over police brutality and the erosion of civil liberties under the current administration, SUP reaffirmed its commitment to seeking justice for victims of state violence.
