Koijee on IG Coleman’s back  

By Stephen G. Fellajuah

Jefferson Tamba Koijee has launched a scathing rebuke of Liberia’s Police Inspector General, Gregory Coleman, following the brutal killing of Sianneh Goe Ricks, a Liberian-Canadian returnee, in her home along the Marshall Highway.

In a strongly worded post on his official Facebook page, Koijee described the incident as “heartbreaking” and a “tragic reminder” of the deteriorating state of the Liberia National Police (LNP) under what he called the “rogue leadership” of IG Coleman.

Ricks, who recently returned from Canada with hopes of contributing to national development, was found dead on Friday in her bedroom in Ben Town, Marshall, Lower Margibi County. Her body was discovered on a burning mattress under circumstances residents described as deeply suspicious. Early reports suggest she may have been raped, beaten, and tied up before the fire was set.

“The once-respected LNP has now been reduced to a criminal enterprise,” Koijee wrote. “It is now an infected arm of state power, crawling with ex-rebels and rogue elements like Johnny Bolar Dean, Unit 106, and Nelson Freeman, who parade themselves as protectors of the state.”

Koijee, Secretary General of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), further accused these same security elements of being “shamelessly stationed” at the Capitol Building before it mysteriously caught fire — a blaze he claims IG Coleman has refused to account for.

“Rather than submit to an investigation, Coleman is busy chasing the $1.8 million budget for the Capitol’s renovation like a hungry fox circling a chicken coop,” he said. “Meanwhile, our national peace hangs in the balance.”

He also condemned the LNP for being weaponized to repress citizens and silence dissent. Koijee referenced a recent scandal involving $200,000 in state revenue, in which a key witness allegedly faced pressure from police to recant their testimony. Despite the witness going public, no action has been taken, he said.

“Where is the so-called voice of the people, Senator Darius Dillon, in all this?” Koijee asked. “His cowardly silence is deafening while his constituents face police brutality, mysterious killings, and intimidation.”

Koijee also blasted the Boakai-Koung administration for, as he put it, prioritizing questionable procurement deals, such as the importation of yellow machines from China, over national security.

“Our streets are no longer safe. Our women and children are no longer safe. And our country is bleeding under the weight of corruption and impunity,” he declared. “This is no longer a matter of politics. This is a matter of life and death.”

Meanwhile, on June 25, 2025, LNP spokesperson Cecelia Clarke confirmed via telephone call on OK FM’s Morning Rush that five individuals have been arrested as persons of interest in the death of Madam Ricks. She said an investigation is underway.

Callers to the radio program expressed outrage and sorrow, warning that such incidents could discourage Liberians abroad from returning home.

“This is unfortunate and scary,” one caller said. “How can we ask people to come back and invest when even in their own homes, they’re not safe?”

The tragic death of Sianneh Goe Ricks has amplified public demand for accountability, justice, and reform in Liberia’s national security apparatus, a demand that grows louder by the day.