Liberia: National Police Forwards Cummings' Bodyguard to Court for Illegal Possession of Firearm

20 December 2022
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
By Willie N. Tokpah

Monrovia — Alexander B. Cummings' bodyguard has been charged and forwarded to court by the Liberia National Police, following his arrest over the weekend for illegally possessing firearm.

Defendant Justin Zigbuo was arrested on Saturday, December 17, by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) while providing protection for the opposition political leader during a rally staged against the government.

Defendant Zigbuo was investigated and subsequently charged with the criminal offense of possession and sale of physical objects for lethal use.

This, according to the LNP, violates Chapter 17 Sęction 17.11 of the revised Penal code of Liberia.

Chapter 17, Section 17.11 States: A person not legally authorized to do so by the military or paramilitary nature of his service has committed a third-degree felony if he is found to be knowingly in possession of or has sold, transferred, given, or loaned to another any physical object possessed of lethal use, under circumstances not remotely appropriate to the lawful uses which such physical object may have.

He was arrested with one black pistol marked Jericho 941 PSL, IWI (NSA 020).

Accordingly, the arrest follows an intelligence received on Saturday, December 17, at about 3 pm that Zigbuo had a said firearm at a rally on the S.K.D. Sports Complex in Paynesville.

The rally under the banner, "We Tire Suffering" was meant to call the world's attention to the sufferings being endured by Liberians under a former soccer star, George Weah's leadership.

While the rally was ongoing, and after LNP received the tip, the Emergency Respond Unit (ERU) of the Liberia National Police immediately went to the S.K.D Sports Complex and arrested suspect Justine Zigbuo with a black pistol mark Jericho 941 PSL,

IWI (NSA 020) and forwarded him for investigation. However, Suspect Zigbuo decline to comment on how he was in illegal possession of a firearm.

Following an investigation by the CSD Charge of Quarters on Saturday, Zigbuo was charged with the "crime of Possession and Sale of Physical Objects for Lethal Use."

"That during crime scene observation/inspection, it was established that the crime (Possession and Sale of Physical Objects for Lethal Use) did occur, in that, suspect Justin Zigbuo was arrested at the rally on the Sports Sports Complex with one black Jericho pistol," the police charge sheet noted.

The police charge sheet maintained that during background investigations, eyewitnesses who were on the scene but did not name confirmed that

suspect Zigbuo was in possession of firearm.

Meanwhile, Defendant Zigbu appeared at the Monrovia City Court on Monday, December 19, but was later released to his lawyers on surety bond.

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