By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992eokin@gmail.com
Bong County – Bong County is gripped by sorrow and quiet anger following the tragic death of Ma Quita Jackson, an elderly woman believed to be in her seventies, whose lifeless body was discovered in a bush behind a cemetery in the Conqueror Community of Suakoko.
What began as a mission person report has grown into a painful national conversation about safety, justice and the protection of the vulnerable.
Ma. Quita was reported mission in the early hours of December 10, 2025. For days. Her absence unsettled her family and neighbors, who hoped she would return homes safely. That hope was shattered on December 13, 2025 when her lifeless body was found in a nearby bush, a discovery that sent shockwaves through the community.
Residents say the condition in which the body was found reportedly undressed and bearing marks has raised troubling questions. Although a 15-member jury constituted by the Suakoko Police Depot conducted a preliminary examination and concluded that no foul play was established, many community members remain unconvinced.
The findings have been rejected by local leaders and citizens who fear that critical evidence may have been overlooked.
In a press statement issued Monday, December 15, 2025, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection expressed deep concern over the circumstances surrounding Ma. Quita’s death.
Gender Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie acknowledged that the incident has generated widespread fear, anger, and suspicion, particularly among women and other vulnerable groups in Bong County.
“The circumstances surrounding her death are troubling and must be properly investigated,” the Minister said, emphasizing that no suspicious death should be treated lightly.
The tragedy has sparked protests by women and concerned citizens, some of whom blocked roads in demand of justice and transparency.
While government security authorities intervened to calm tensions, removing the body to a funeral home and reopening blocked routes, the Ministry of Gender stressed that restoring order does not replace the need for truth and accountability.
Calls are now growing for a thorough and independent investigation, including a professional autopsy to determine the true cause of death. The Ministry has urged the Liberia National Police and other security institutions to deepen their probe, while also appealing to community members to remain calm and pursue justice through peaceful and lawful means.
Beyond the immediate calls for investigation, Ma Quita Jackson’s death has touched a deeper nerve. For many, it symbolizes the fear that elderly women and other vulnerable citizens can suffer in silence, their lives easily dismissed when answers are unclear.
The Ministry of Gender reaffirmed its commitment to protecting women, the elderly and other at-risk groups, stating that every Liberian life matters and that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done.
As Bong County mourns, Ma Quita Jackson’s death remains more than a tragic headline. It is a test to the nation’s conscience and of its resolve to ensure that even the quietest lives are afforded dignity, protection and justice.
