Monrovia — Grand Gedeh County Senator Thomas Y. Nimely has red-flagged police harassment, theft, and intimidation against peaceful citizens, while describing the influx of police checkpoints across the country as many and meaningless.
Speaking in plenary on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, he disclosed that Liberians freedom of movement is being stagnated, arguing that Liberia's democracy is questionable due to the lack of effective implementation of democratic principles.
"The checkpoints in this country are too many and meaningless. They are meaningless to the security of this country. They are only meaningful to the pockets of the officers. I will take this to the Committee on Security and Judiciary. Harassment and intimidation are many against our people.' he stated.
Senator Nimely alleged that men at various checkpoints are checking women, and if they don't find what they are looking for, they must take money and other belongings of peaceful traveler.
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He said that since the 60s police checkpoints have been around. He added that it is understood that Liberia is a republic; therefore, when a country is a republic, it has an opportunity to decide the system it wants, but once it chooses a democratic system, it has to take on a democratic principle.
According to him, one of the major democratic principles is the freedom of movement, warning that the harassment and intimidation by police officers against peaceful citizens who are commuting from one point to another is unprecedented.
He disclosed that from Montserrado County to Ganta City, Nimba County, there are three checkpoints, and at all three checkpoints, people are harassed and intimidated daily.
Explaining his experience, he disclosed that on December 23, 2025, he passed an NTA bus at the Saliah Checkpoint, where everyone got down for check, but within the check booth, two Mandingo people were being processed despite being citizens, something he said left several lying on the ground.
Frustratingly, he added that there is no note of a letter to indicate to the remaining checkpoints that those checked have been processed, but they are left at the mercy of their pocket to survive.
At the same time, he disclosed at the welcome to Grand Gedeh Checkpoint, citizens are detained and harassed by the Liberian National Police Officers and required to pay money before entering the county, around five hundred Liberian dollars.
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