The George Weah government is fast setting a legacy as the era with the highest rate of murders, as a former Montserrado County district #4 representative-candidate on the All Liberian Party (ALP) ticket during the 2017 presidential election, Daniel Davis alias DMX, slightly escaped a murder attempt on his life during the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2021.
Davies was attacked by an organized gang, Kubah, while at the Shuta Margarita Bar, Du-Port Road’s intersection, Paynesville, and his throat partially slit.
An eye-witness, Elvis Barney, told the Hot Pepper that, on the night of January 5, 2021, Davies was at the bar with a friend. “While at the bar, his friend woke up from their table to get them drinks, but making his way to the counter he mistakenly hit Azonto (Kubah’s ringleader) on his shoulder. Azonto stopped him and began to quarrel, but he apologized and said it was a mistake.”
According to Barney, “Like it was a setup, Azonto got furious and called his boys, who were more than twenty. Seeing the tension, DMX decided to go and apparently soften things and appeal on his friend’s behalf, but unfortunately for him the boys redirected their anger toward him.
“At this point, he saw officer Arnold Dixon, the aide to the Deputy Director for Administration (101) of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Sadatu Reeves, who was well-armed. Recognizing him as a police officer, DMX began to explain to him what occurred. While explaining, Azonto quickly rushed to him and slit his throat. His blood began to pour and he immediately fell to the ground.
“Seeing him helplessly on the ground, Azonto and the rest of his group hurriedly left the scene. However, DMX regained a little strength and made his way to his car. But unfortunately for him, Azonto and his boys returned a few minutes later and saw him entering his car and opened gunfire at his car. DMX managed to enter his car and drive away from the scene.”
When contacted, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shuta Margarita Bar, Donald Iriruaga, told the Hot Pepper that he received a call during the early morning hours of Wednesday from the Manager of his bar, K. Roberts, who informed him that there was a scuffle at the bar. According to him, he immediately placed a call to the LNP to rescue the situation, but could not get a redress from the police after 20 minutes. “I decided to drive to the scene, but they had dislodged when I reached. DMX, being my friend, I called his phone and I was told that he was at the ELWA hospital. I drove there immediately to see his condition,” the Shuta Margarita CEO said.
Iriruaga disclosed that his manager informed him that live bullets were fired on the scene.
The Liberia National Police (LNP) at a press conference on Friday, January 8, 2021 informed the public that they had successfully clamped down on Kubah, and had arrested eight persons, including its dangerous leader, Varney Kiazolu alias Azonto.
“During the crackdown, several membership forms of Kubah and single barrel guns were recovered. We are now doing everything possible to locate those identified by photos and names on the forms for investigative questioning,” the LNP said in a press statement.
According to the LNP statement, one of its officers, in person of Arnold Dixon, was on the scene when Daniel Davies was physically assaulted by the group, but the officer did not act as a law enforcer who is charged with the responsibility of protecting life and property, and that officer Dixon has been subjected to probe.
A source close to Davies (DMX) has informed the Hot Pepper that DMX is recovering from the wound, and has much to say to the press when he is well enough.
According to the source, who prefers anonymity for the safety of his life, the scuffle goes deeper than what occurred on that night, and that Kubah was only a hired agent to do the dirty work of someone who wants to get even with them.
The source alleged that DMX and Joe Kpoto were business partners for approximately four years, but due to conflicting reasons they parted ways in early 2020. The source identified Kpoto as the boyfriend of LNP 101, Sadatu Reeves. The source informed the paper that Kpoto was manager of a certain entity, but was replaced by Davies, which prompted Kpoto to create animosity for Davies, and since then the two individuals cannot lay eyes on each other.
“Davies has been safe all along, and no one has ever made an attempt on his life. I believe this was because Kpoto was not in the country—he was in Sierra Leone. I say this because Kpoto only returned to the country sometime last week, and now Davies is nearly murdered. Could that be a coincidence? If you follow the occurrence, then you will understand what I’m talking about,” the source noted.
The source explained that when Davies first entered Shuta, he was met by Kpoto girlfriend’s bodyguard, who only went out for a few minutes and came back with the gang group. “In fact, why would shoulder-hitting bring out so much anger, to the extent of taking away someone’s life? Why did Sadatu Reeves’ bodyguard, who was well-armed at the club, do nothing when Davies’ throat was slit right in his presence? Let’s agree that he never had the manpower to overcome the gang, why didn’t he call for backup when the tension escalated? Why would the gang redirect their anger from the doer of the act to Davies if it was not a planned operation?” the source wondered.
Meanwhile, the head of the Kubah gang, Azonto, was eager to speak to the press when the LNP brought them out to show them to the press during the press briefing. Azonto was heard murmuring, “Da free jail we going to so oo…” When the press tried interviewing him, they were harshly stopped by the LNP Spokesman, H. Moses Carter, and all other efforts went futile.
Kubah, with the slogan, “Gbelleh by face, Kubah by heart”, is said to have rained terror in Paynesville and its surrounding, specifically Du-Port Road. In two weeks’ time, a number of persons fell victim to the group’s robberies and murder attempts, including famous comedian, Paul Flomo, Emmanuel D.C. Freeman and Daniel Davies, according to police investigation.
The group appears to be well-organized, equipped and funded, as they have membership forms, head ties for identification and guns to carry out their operations. It is said that they avail themselves for hire by anyone or group that wants to settle score with people they are in beef with or confusion. Who is behind Kubah is now the million-dollar question that needs to be thoroughly investigated and the gang brought to book in order to bring reign-of-terror relief to the citizenry. Investigation continues.