Maryland County’s Resident Circuit Judge, His Honor Nelson Tokpa, has reportedly fled the county and is currently in Monrovia seeking justice after being reportedly attacked by a group of local residents, including chiefs, zoes, women leaders, youth and elders, and other traditional people of Maryland County.
The groups are said to have filed a formal complaint against Judge Tokpa before Her Honor Sie- A- Nyene G. Yuoh, Chief Justice, and requested the replacement of Judge Tokpa from presiding over a land case between them and Harmton Thomas, Nyemah Dennis and others. They claimed in the complaint that Judge Tokpa had resisted hearing the case because, according to them, Judge Tokpa said, “The tribal people do not have deed,” an allegation Judge Topka has termed as untrue, baseless and unfounded.
In another communication subsequently addressed to the Supreme Court Judge by the same groups under the headline, “Tribal Authorities of Big Town and Pleebo Clan, Pleebo/Sodoken & Harper Districts, Maryland County”, the attackers asked for the removal of Judge Tokpa from presiding over their customary land cases.
Explaining his side in a communication addressed to the Chief Justice, Judge Tokpa said, “On Monday, March 25, 2024 between the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., I started hearing sounds of traditional horns and war drums across the entire Harper City, and just within an hour’s time different groups of tribal people and others gathered, surrounded and attacked my house, shouting, ‘He or she will feel pain and die.’” He explained further in the communication, “The attackers were bearing arrows, cutlasses, knives, machetes, spears, country axes, amongst other light weapons.”
They were also said to be dressed in traditional war forms, with green palm thatches and leaves tied around their heads. As though the display at the house of Judge Topka was not enough, the traditional people, along with their country devils, blocked the only main highway leading from Harper to Pleebo City to prevent him (Judge Tokpa) from leaving the city.
According to the complaint filed before Her Honor Sie-A- Nyene G. Yuoh, Chief Justice, Bailiff Nyemah Howe and Julley Howe, former Labor Commissioner of Maryland County, who are said to be brothers of Associate Justice Jamesetta Howe Wolokollie, demanded from him the sum of US$1,000 plus one cow and assorted food and non-food items as fine.
Judge Tokpa said although he has written a series of communications to claim the attention of the Chief Justice who happens to be his direct boss, justice for him remains frozen on ice. He said he has written some key county authorities at the level of the Legislature but they are yet to intervene to bring the perpetrators to justice. It is also reported that the office of the Chief Justice forwarded the case to the Justice Minister, who is reported to have forwarded it to the Internal Affairs Minister since it is traditional in nature. However, nothing has been done.
Meanwhile, the people are said to be reconsolidating to get rid of Judge Tokpa if he makes the least attempt to return to Maryland County.
Many are of the belief that, given the silence of those who are supposed to ensure that justice is served in a timely manner, justice has been abused, delayed and denied for Judge Nelson T. Tokpa. It is also alleged that the Chief Justice has some family ties to some of the people involved in the act. Currently, it is reported that there are strange movements around the residence of Judge Tokpa in Harper City, indicating that the threat against his life remains.
Judge Tokpa said he deemed it compellingly fit to inform the public through the media since he has waited for about three months now and nothing is being done about the case. “I have to take this route because the proper authorities seem to be giving a blind eye to this case.
An appalled and concerned citizen working at the Justice Ministry said, “If the monkey can’t protect its baby from falling, it should not hold the tree branch accountable.”
Names of those involved in the act are Julley Howe, former Labor Commissioner, and Nyemah Howe, court security, both of whom are alleged brothers to Associate Justice Jamesetta. Others are Doe Dio Dweh Hodge, Clan Chief, Big Town; Tibli Dweh Baker, General Town, Putuken and Yaba Hne Wilson, Town Chief Wutuke, amongst many others at the level of elders, youth groups, women groups as well as individual citizens.