Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods, the National Security Advisor to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has been dragged under the spotlight for his perpetual silence amidst several documented human rights violations, including alleged state-sanctioned brutalities, extrajudicial killings, and systematic repressions under the Boakai-Koung administration in just one year.
Kofi Woods, former human rights activist, journalist and academician, is noted for his fearless and relentless stance against human rights violations. In 1991, he established the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, and operated a radio program aimed at exposing improper arrests, unlawful executions and informing citizens of their civil rights. In 1994, Woods created the Forefront Organization, which documented human rights abuses during the second Liberian civil war. His voice once inspired hope and demanded justice.
However, Atty Woods appears to have cultivated a culture of perpetual silence under the Boakai administration, even though there have been several allegations and proved instances of human rights violations. Howbeit, observers have noticed his silence and are beginning to question his stance, describing it as a stain on his legacy. One of those observers is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Voice of Liberia (VOL), Sekou V. Sheriff.
In a letter to Atty. Woods, Sheriff said, “I write to you with a seething indignation borne of the overwhelming evidence of over 22 documented human rights violations perpetrated under the current President Boakai regime. These atrocities—including state-sanctioned brutality, extrajudicial killings, and systematic repression—have left our nation scarred. Your once-respected voice, which inspired hope and demanded justice, now echoes with a silence that is as damning as it is deplorable. The people of Liberia expected a principled leader in you, but your inaction speaks volumes of your betrayal.”
Sheriff reminded Atty. Woods that his position, which should be defined by steadfast defense of human dignity, has instead been marked by an appalling silence in the face of grotesque abuses. “The current administration’s flagrant disregard for basic human rights has been compounded by your failure to act decisively. It is unconscionable that someone who once championed the cause of justice would now turn a blind eye to the on-going carnage and systematic erosion of civil liberties—a betrayal that smacks of complicity,” Sekou Sheriff noted in his letter.
According to him, the “disgraceful” conduct of the Inspector General of Police, Gregory Colman, further deepens this betrayal, noting that under Coleman’s command the police force has been allegedly infiltrated by hardened criminals and the normalization of excessive force has become routine. He said the IG’s alleged relentless abuse has not only endangered countless lives but has also sullied the reputation of national security institutions. “Your failure to confront and expose this corruption is a direct affront to the very principles you once held dear,” he told Atty Woods.
“Each of the 22 documented human rights violations is a testament to the systemic decay that has festered under your watch. Cases like the tragic demise of Amanda Nebo, the custodial death of Morris Gomo, and the brutal killings of Bangalie Kamara, Essah Massaley, and even a 17-year-old student—James Kandy—are not isolated incidents. They reveal a disturbing pattern of state-sponsored violence that has left communities shattered and trust in our institutions irrevocably broken. Your silence in the face of these appalling injustices is a stain on your legacy.
“Your transformation from a vocal critic of tyranny during the Charles Taylor era to a muted and complicit figure in today’s oppressive regime is both ironic and infuriating. Once, you were a beacon of hope, exposing the brutalities of a despotic system; now, you stand idly by as political expediency and personal ambition enable the rise of corruption and impunity. This betrayal of your past convictions is a bitter pill for Liberians who believed in the possibility of a just and accountable state,” the letter further observed.
Sekou Sheriff’s letter has been copied to Senator Momo Cyrus, Senate’s Chair on Defense and Intelligence; Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; Cllr. Bornor Varmah, President of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA); US Ambassador Mark Toner, Swidish Ambassador Karl Backeus, German Ambassador Dr. Jakob Haselhuber, UN, AU, ECOWAS Court of Justice, EU, Liberia Council of Churches and the National Catholic Secretariat.
The letter underscored that it is high time that Atty. Woods shed the cloak of silence and reclaim the mantle of principled leadership, and emphasized that the heinous abuses continuing under his watch demand an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation—not just into the actions of Inspector General Colman and his cronies, but into the broader machinery of state oppression that he has allegedly allowed to flourish. “The international community and every Liberian are watching closely, and your current inaction only deepens the wounds of a nation that yearns for accountability and reform,” he reminded Atty. Woods.
Sheriff then called on the National Security Advisor, Samuel Kofi Woods, to break his silence and act decisively to restore the integrity of the national security apparatus. He indicated that the legacy of past misdeeds, reminiscent of the brutal Charles Taylor regime, must not be repeated under his watch. “Our nation deserves a leader who stands up for justice and human dignity, not one who permits the relentless abuse of power. The time for excuses has long passed; the time for action is now. History will judge you not by your words, but by the actions you take in the coming days,” Sekou Sheriff’s letter concluded.
