By: Cooper S. Sangar Jr
MONROVIA – As a nation that experienced 14 years of civil unrest, the act of lawlessness, especially Mob Violence and jungle justice, are the order of the day in several quarters of the country.
Mob violence, which is a violent act perpetrated by a large, often disorganized crowd of people against individuals or property occurs when a group of people takes the law into their own hands, using violence to punish individuals they believe have committed a crime or acted immorally.
These actions typically bypass legal procedures and often result in injury, destruction of property, or even death.
As a means of combating the increasing wave of mob violence across the country, the Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with its partners, including the Liberia Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Development Program, has undertaken a nationwide Anti Mob Violence Campaign.
The move aimed at discouraging the citizenry from taking the law into their own hands.
Delivering the keynote address at the launch of the Campaign on Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Monrovia, President Joseph Nyumah Boakia, described mob violence as an alarming factor undermining the fabric of the Liberian society.
“The way we go about handling issues nowadays in this country is very denigrating, if we decide to be signatory to international treaties, we have to live as patriots, we have to give the rule of law a chance.” The president said.
He warned that Liberia as a country cannot thrive amid wanton disregard for the rule of law.
The Liberian leader then assured his government’s fullest commitment to working with partners in raising awareness across the country to ensure that the rule of law, as part of his ARREST Agenda, is safeguarded.
The goals of the campaign are to encourage citizens to pursue justice through the appropriate legal channels, instilling confidence that the justice system can and will deliver outcomes that reflect fairness, equity, and integrity; and second, to promote a coherent vision of a safe Liberia, where investment, economic growth, and social stability can flourish unimpeded by the specter of mob violence.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Boakia has called on the Police and all security apparatuses to respect the motorcyclists, assuring the cyclists of his government’s inclusive plan for them.
Since the government crackdown on the movement of motorcycles in certain parts of Monrovia, there has been extremely bad blood between state security officers and some cyclists who are bent on violating the no-go-zone restrictions.
President Boakai called for calm amid the heightening tension between the state security and cyclists which has resulted to injuries and death.
