The Grassroots Liberation Movement has raised concerns over the citizenship status of the current President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Mustapha Ishola Raji, requesting that the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) initiate a probe into the matter.
In a release issued March 7, 2026, the civil society movement said, “It has come to our attention that the current President of the LFA is facing a serious citizenship concern. Based on information available to us, there are questions regarding whether Mr. Ishola Raji is indeed a Liberian citizen. Because of the seriousness of this matter, we are calling on the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) to probe into the issue of his nationality.”
The release, signed by the Executive Director of the Grassroots Liberation Movement, Sam D. Gegeh, observed that, about five months ago the Student Unification Party (SUP) raised similar concerns regarding Ishola Raji’s citizenship. “Unfortunately, those concerns have not yet been fully addressed. Therefore, we believe that now is the appropriate time for the Liberia Immigration Service to conduct a thorough investigation into the citizenship status of the LFA President.
“Fellow Liberians, the Liberia Immigration Service—formerly known as the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, was established in 1956 to enforce immigration laws, regulate migration, and protect the national borders of the Republic of Liberia. Its primary responsibility is to manage Liberia’s land, air, and sea borders, regulate the movement of non-Liberians, and issue residence permits in accordance with the law,” the release noted.
According to the release, “The LIS functions as a paramilitary institution under the Ministry of Justice, ensuring national security by controlling the movement of people. As such, we call on the Justice Ministry to take seize of the matter. With this in mind, we wish to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) performs its duties by carefully reviewing and verifying the citizenship status of the President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA).
“We want to state categorically that we have full confidence in the competence and professionalism of the Liberia Immigration Service, headed by its Commissioner, Elijah Rufus. We trust that the institution will take the necessary steps to launch a proper investigation into this matter in the interest of transparency, accountability, and respect for the laws of Liberia.”
The group said it believes that addressing this issue will strengthen public confidence in national institutions and ensure that the laws governing citizenship and leadership positions in national organizations are respected.
