Monrovia — Journalist Gibson Jerue has formally complained Sylvester Wah, the man he believes is responsible for his son's murder, to the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking the Bureau's intervention in alleged crime committed by an American citizen in the Republic of Liberia.
Mr. Jerue submitted his report to the FBI Thursday, June 16, 2022. In the complaints, he accused Sylvester Wah, a resident of 703 S Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57104 of complicity in the beating to death of his son, Gibson Jerue, Jr., also known as Baby Gibson.
In his statement to the FBI, Jerue said, "On May 30, 2022, Sylvester Wah, presumably US citizen and who possessed the US and Liberian passports, participated in a mob action that led to the cold-bloody murder of my son, Gibson W Jerue, Jr. (also known as Baby Gibson).
"According to an investigation conducted by Liberian police officers who went on the scene after Baby Gibson was mobbed, Baby Gibson and another man were engaged in a fight. Both men injured each other with a machete, the other man first hit my son with the machete and Baby Gibson grabbed the machete and hit him back. Sylvester, who claimed the other man was his brother, mobilized group of men and went to where my son was hiding. Sylvester tested me and said that he requested that my son be turned over to him."
In his text message, Sylvester admitted, "... Do you know how much I've spent since your son committed that crime? Before his boss (the ghetto's big man) turned him over we paid... "
Mr. Jerue told the FBI that Sylvester said in "the text messages that he paid money to the person who turned my son over to him. Sylvester and the mobsters took my son took away and my son was beaten until left for dead. That was on May 30th.
"Some police officers rushed him to the 14th Military Hospital, but he died on June 2, 2022. Now, Sylvester is no longer answering to the police and is about to escape and return to the US. Sylvester's US address is showing "703 S Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57104".
"I have pictures and videos of the incident and text messages and audio recordings from Sylvester admitting to his act. I am prepared to submit them to the FBI."
Sylvester Wah was accused by the family of the deceased Baby Gibson that he masterminded the mobbing of their son to death. Sylvester was initially arrested by the Liberian National Police but was released the same day on May 30th on grounds that he would report to the police. "Sylvester no longer reports to the police, and he is walking a free man," Mr. Jerue said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Police sources say the 14 others rounded up did not mention Sylvester's name, therefore, they did not believe he is culpable. One senior police (name withheld) is quoted as telling the family members of the deceased that the text messages, including the one in which Sylvester admitted paying for the turning over of Mr. Jerue's son, are all not valid reasons to charge Sylvester with a crime.
Sylvester is yet to explain why a person turned over to him who ends up dead is not his responsibility. Jerue said, "If Sylvester did not have the ability to protect my son, he had no business paying for his turn-over to him. He led my son to the mobsters to lynch him."
Meanwhile, one man has been charged for his complicity in the murder of Baby Gibson. Michael Gleh, a community chairman, was charged and sent to the Monrovia Central Prison awaiting trial. He was said to be one of the people who beat to death the deceased.
