Monrovia — On Monday, February 2, residents of Saye-Town blocked a major road linking central Monrovia, causing heavy traffic as they protested an eviction executed on Saturday by Supreme Court sheriffs.
The eviction displaced dozens of residents and sparked anger among affected families, many of whom say they were not given adequate notice or sufficient time to vacate the disputed property, which is subject to a claim of ownership between Victoria Johnson Maxiwell and Kwii S. Tarniah.
Protesters said the demonstration was intended to draw the attention of the Boakai administration to their plight, stressing that they have nowhere else to go, especially given what they described as the sudden manner in which the eviction was carried out without prior notice.
Many of the affected residents were seen sitting on the ground during the protest, calling on the government for immediate assistance. They described the eviction process as one that has pushed several families into poverty and said it has affected many Liberians.
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On Saturday, January 31, 2026, residents of the Say-Town community awoke to an eviction notice dated January 8, 2026, issued by Civil Law Court Circuit Judge Boima Kontoe. The notice ordered sheriffs to "oust, evict, and eject" occupants from the land in accordance with the law, placing Victoria Johnson Maxiwell in possession of the property.
During the evaluation, residents were forced to put their belongings outside, not knowing where to go or who to run to. The eviction has since been surrounded by controversy, with residents questioning how it was carried out. Many claim the sheriffs did not act in the best interests of ordinary Liberians, some of whom have lived in the area for more than a decade.
Although some residents claim ownership of the land, they said they were not given ample time to relocate or find alternative accommodation. They described the eviction as abrupt and said it affected many families.
Some protesters told this publication on Monday that, following the eviction, Eric F. Nagbe reportedly contributed L$3.5 million through Prince Toe, the district representative, to assist affected residents, but they said the amount received was insufficient to address their immediate needs, given the number of affected persons.
In an interview, James Pyes, one of the protesters, said officials from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) also visited the community and that the former president promised to provide shelter for six months to allow residents time to relocate.
Efforts by this publication to contact CDC officials for confirmation were unsuccessful. However, residents said many of those affected had paid large sums of money to landlords and were unaware that an eviction was imminent.
Minutes after the protest began, a group of police officers arrived and fired tear gas to restore order. Eyewitnesses alleged that police were brutal toward the protesters, and at least one of them, who was reportedly unwell at the time, was forced into a police vehicle. Away.
The individual was seen being forcibly pulled into a vehicle and taken away by police as other protesters fled the scene. Residents expressed frustration, saying the government still has the power to assist them rather than treat them harshly.
"President Boakai, we voted for you, and you are treating us like this," one female protester was heard shouting as she crossed the road to escape police.
However, several protesters were arrested by riot police and taken away, and in a few minutes, traffic flow was restored, but many claim they are still fighting to get somewhere to stay.
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Meanwhile, as the protest continued, a group comprising members of the Johnson family, accompanied by the community chairman and other affected residents, was seen at the Civil Law Court on Monday seeking legal redress over the eviction.
In an interview with journalists, the group said they had gone to court to file a bill of information to determine why an eviction was ordered, despite their claim that they had prevailed in the case. They said the bill of information has been formally submitted to the Civil Law Court.
The petition requests a review of the case file and seeks clarification on how an eviction was carried out in a matter reportedly decided in 2023.
However, the bill of information is currently before the Civil Law Court, and the parties say they are awaiting the court's response in the coming days.
