The Saga of A Group Of Alleged Ritual Murderers In Maryland County Oct. 21

News: by Sayor E. Wahtoson

The past several days have been witnessing a rather heated but interesting debate across the country surrounding a group of people arrested by the government for the ritual murder of a pregnant woman in Harper, Maryland County. The victim, Yuwade Allison, went missing a few days earlier and was later found dead with parts, including her private organs, missing in December 2009. Following a massive outcry the government launched animmediate investigation and by March 2010 several persons were arrested including 2 prominent people, Fulton Yancy and Dan Marias.

Fulton, a former Supreme Court Judge and Dan, a former Superintendent (governor) of Maryland County, have been contending that their arrest was illegal. A search of the homes of the two men, following tip off, led to the discovery of several containers filled with human blood, However, their attorneys contend that the method employed by the government to track the men was not acceptable under the laws of Liberia. Mysterious disappearances resulting in the gruesome death of people have become common place in Maryland County. The ritual murder of Yuwade (Yuwadae) was about the fifth between 2008 and 2009 in Harper along. Poor security mechanism makes it rather difficult to track down perpetrators of this gruesome crime.

This apparently forced the government to enlist the services of a fetishist, since indeed fetishism is a traditional practice aimed at unraveling mysteries, notwithstanding its ‘illegality’. Legal wrangling took effect in the matter with attorneys of the 2 men filing one injunction after the other with the Supreme Court and before the case could make any headway in the lower court, the high court ordered a complete retrial. A few days into the Supreme Court ruling, the government surprisingly announced that it was dropping charges against Fulton Yancy and Dan Marias ‘for lack of sufficient evidence’ and set them free. But the government said it would proceed with the trial of 9 others who were arrested in the same manner as Fulton and Dan. The 9 people are still behind bars. This baffling act of the government drew strong criticisms from many quarters including family members.

A member of parliament from Maryland County, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, denounced the government and demanded the immediate release of all other persons still being held in connection with the case. He termed the government’s action as a miscarriage of justice and wondered whether it was not a clear indication of justice being denied the common man ‘for lack of money’. Observers see the latest development in this much publicized murder case as something giving or attempting to give credence to claims circulating in several quarters in Maryland County that there is a serious cover-up attempt by senior political leaders of the area to frustrate efforts at exposing the real ritual murderers in Maryland County. In a letter dated June 16, 2010 to the Senior Senator of that county, John Ballout, a group under the banner, Concerned Marylanders, lambasted the law makers from the county for ‘paying no meaningful attention’ to the numerous problems of the county.

They catalogued countless number of problems and even accused some members of the county’s Legislative Caucus of being behind much of the trouble. The group made startling revelation that a man named Kla Yargba voluntarily confessed his involvement in the killing of Madam Allison and explained further to investigators that those currently being held are innocent; and that he was ready to expose the real culprits, who according to them, are ‘higher-ups’ of the county. The group noted that as a way of silencing Mr. Yargba, he was quickly arrested and jailed and all access to him is denied.

Kla Yargba is one the 9 persons still in prison in connection with the Yuwade Allison Murder case. The group further mentioned in the letter that prior to the murder of Yuwade, there was the murder of a couple who had gone to harvest oil palm a month earlier. They group claimed the current Superintendent of Maryland County, Mr. Blebo Brown, personally probed the incident and came up with findings that implicated some ‘higher-up, including a Member of Parliament from the county. But as the result of maneuvering by these higher-ups the issue was swept under carpets.

Senator John Ballout is yet to comment on the letter from the group. Ritualistic killings have long been going on in Maryland County. In 1979 the government charged and convicted and then hanged close to a dozen persons for the killing of a musician, Moses Twe in 1977 for ritual purposes. Among those noosed that year were prominent persons like James Daniel Anderson, Superintendent (governor) of Maryland County at the time and Mr. Allen Nathaniel Yancy, Member of Parliament from Harper District. Allen Yancy was the first cousin of Mr. Fulton Yancy, who is now at the center of the current controversy. The executed persons were found to be the perpetrators of the act by means of the same fetishism, which is now being contested by Fulton and Dan as illegal.

The practice of ritual murder is now happening in some parts of Liberia. Though not widespread, this comes about usually when elections are around. Reports of ritual murder came out of the central region of Bong County last month and in the last few days the government announced the arrest of the Deputy Superintendent of a southern region, Rivercess County. Mr. Sampson Cephus was charged, by police, with the murder, for alleged ritual purposes, of a villager in the county. He now is being processed for court trial. Reports have it that people engaged in ritual murder believe human sacrifice fetches them riches, fame, political powers, etc.

At the moment rumors of the presence in Paynesville, a suburb Monrovia, of a ritual murderer named David Quah have sent a wave of fear in people especially parents of children. David Quah is reportedly being harbored by Mr. George Mulbah, Member of Parliament from Bong County. Mr. Mulbah issued a denial saying that although he knows the man in question to be from his constituency in Bong County, he was not harboring him. Mr. Mulbah promised in the release to address himself ‘meaningfully’ to the issue. Almost 3 weeks have gone by now with Mulbah yet to comment further on the issue.

Sayor E. Wahtoson, Liberia MyTurn’s correspondent in Liberia.
Copyright © 2010 LIB MyTurn. All rights reserved.

Share/Bookmark

Previous Topic: THE PRINCE JOHNSON SAGA By Ben T Browne Sr

Next Topic: IS CURBING ARMED ROBBERY PROVING A HEADACHE FOR THE LIBERIA NATIONAL POLICE?