NATIONAL NEWS
MARGIBI COUNTY – A 12-member jury at the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County has returned guilty verdicts against two senior officers of the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and a Nigerian national in a major drug trafficking case involving US$181,008 and more than LD$63.2 million.
By: Contributing Writer
Those convicted are Joe Logan, a senior-ranking LDEA officer assigned to the Roberts International Airport; senior female LDEA officer Lovette Flowers; and Tony Obi, a Nigerian national.
The verdict followed approximately two hours of intense closing arguments between prosecutors and defense lawyers after a month-long trial.
During the trial, prosecutors said they presented four witnesses who provided evidence linking the three defendants to the alleged drug trafficking operation.
The prosecution also referenced the cases of Quita Dolo Kosso and another LDEA officer, Abdullah Sherrif, whom the state identified as members of the same drug syndicate. Both individuals reportedly admitted to their involvement and have already been sentenced to five years and two years in prison, respectively.
Prosecutors further alleged that fourteen plates of cocaine were seized from the drug operation, but that Logan and Flowers, while serving as LDEA officers, took four plates from the seized drugs and subsequently sold them on the black market.
The state also told the jury that LDEA officers received US$10,000 from members of the drug cartel as a bribe intended to undermine the country’s efforts to combat illegal drugs.
“The last people ever to be involved in drug crime are LDEA officers because they were trained to detect and fight drug crime. These LDEA officers facing trial have been involved with organized drug crime with their Nigerian counterpart called Tony Obi. So, bring a guilty verdict against them to serve as a deterrent to other law enforcement officers who may want to engage in similar acts,” state prosecutors told the jurors.
Defense lawyers, however, maintained that the prosecution had not met the required legal standard of proving the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“There exists reasonable doubt in the state prosecutor’s argument, and the law says once there is a reasonable doubt, the defendants should be set free,” the defense team argued.
The defense also challenged the prosecution’s account of the quantity of cocaine involved in the case, pointing to what they described as inconsistencies in the evidence presented.
“The investigation established 10 plates of cocaine instead of 14 plates. So, for the fact that the state has increased the 10 plates of cocaine to 14 plates, it means there is variance or contradiction in their witnesses’ testimonies, which should operate in favor of the defendants,” the defense lawyers maintained.
According to court records, the cocaine at the center of the case was intercepted from convicted drug trafficker Quita Kosso in July 2025. Kosso had reportedly traveled from Thailand and arrived at the Roberts International Airport aboard a Kenyan flight.
The guilty verdict now places the three defendants at the center of one of the country’s significant drug trafficking prosecutions involving allegations of law enforcement officers participating in and facilitating the illegal drug trade.
