By: Trokon Wrepue/Sampson Weah
Monrovia – On the once-quiet 4th Street Community in Sinkor, the sounds of destruction echoed early Wednesday morning with hope. Tired of living in fear and watching their neighborhoods fall to drugs and crime, residents have begun tearing down ghettos and criminal hideouts – taking the fight against illicit drugs into their hands.
For years, locals of the community say they’ve watched with growing concern as ghettos become safe havens for criminals and disadvantaged youths, commonly referred to zogos.
These young people, many trapped in addiction have become both victims and threats in a city now overwhelmed by drugs.
“We can’t sit and wait for change anymore,” said one resident. “Our children, our streets, and our future are at stake.”
In recent days, thousands of Liberians have marched across the country, demanding that the government confront the growing drug crisis.
But in Sinkor, action has come not just in protest, but in demolition.
With fire and force, residents of 4th Street have torn down and burned ghettos and makeshift structures, driving out those who have turned their community into a place of fear.
They say their actions are meant to support the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), and to show that the people are ready to stand beside the government in the battle for Liberia’s future.
As smoke rises from the ashes of broken shelters, what remains is a message: the people of 4th Street are no longer waiting—they are reclaiming their community, one brick at a time.
