SANNIQUELLIE CITY — Dozens of families living at the Armed Forces of Liberia's Camp Grant Military Barracks face eviction after the Sanniquellie City Magisterial Court upheld a 60-day order to clear the area, residents and court officials said.
In a public notice dated April 16, 2026, Magistrate Evelyn Lah Gongloe warned occupants to leave by May 4, saying those who remain risk forced removal.
The eviction order stems from a March 3, 2026 ruling in a land dispute between the AFL and residents of the New Barracks community. The court said occupants must vacate military property within 60 days.
Presiding Magistrate Bob Flomo said the court found residents had been told as early as 2025 to leave but did not comply. He added that the Sanniquellie City Corporation and the Nimba County Superintendent also issued notices that were ignored.
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Flomo also cited an executive mandate from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. calling for the clearance of AFL properties nationwide, saying the court could not rule against the order.
Residents say the decision could displace hundreds of people, including many female-headed households, and are urging the government to provide compensation and resettlement assistance.
The Ministry of National Defense says the land belongs to Camp Grant. Residents counter that they legally purchased plots, paid for government surveys and hold deeds they say prove ownership.
The disagreement traces back to the 1960s and 1970s, when the "Old Barracks" was Sanniquellie's main military facility, residents said.
In the 1990s, residents said former President William R. Tolbert bought land from the Joseph Seibey family--later known as the "New Barracks"--for private use. They said former President Samuel K. Doe later reclaimed the property, arguing it was state-owned because public funds were used to acquire it.
Some residents, including Alice Sehnwai and Elder A. Konah Miaway, called on the government to pay them if they are forced to leave. "Compensate us if we must leave," they said.
Sehnwai, a single mother of four, questioned the government's claim. "It is hard to believe that the government surveyor who mapped my land two decades ago was unaware it belonged to the state," she said.
She said she paid US$3,500 for a government survey and that boundaries with the military are clearly marked. Another resident, Koo Meantuo, a mother of seven, said she fears losing her home.
"I am not well because I am a GB seller and have invested in this land for over 18 years," Meantuo said. She said she followed procedures through the Liberia Land Authority but was later told to vacate.
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Lovelyn B. Yenglee, a single mother of six, appealed for what she called a fair process. "If the very government we elected is now bringing us sorrow, where are we expected to go?" she asked. "We are not resisting; we are simply asking for justice."
Mamie Gaye said the pending eviction has taken a toll on her health. "My surgical wound has reopened," she said, linking it to stress over displacement. She said she owns her land and rejects claims that she is a squatter.
"No one permitted me to stay here. I am not squatting," Gaye said. She called for resettlement support as the Ministry of National Defense moves to expand facilities.
Another resident, Victoria Tokpah, said she is confused by the government's position, noting that officials previously surveyed her land.
"I paid for the survey, and I was told my land was not part of army property, so why the sudden change?" Tokpah asked. Authorities and the AFL are seeking about 32 acres for an expansion project residents say is valued at about US$170,000.
Separately, the AFL in Nimba County has announced a development drive to upgrade facilities at Camp Grant Military Barracks.
Organizers say they aim to raise US$170,000 for three projects: US$70,000 for a new high school, US$50,000 for a chapel and US$50,000 for a recreational center.
