The Hot Pepper has received news of a major electoral violence in Nimba County, resulting into the death of Aloysius G. Bahn, who is said to be a supporter of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). The brutality occurred in Vayenglay Town, Soe Chiefdom, district #4, on Monday, August 21, 2023—just two weeks into the campaign period leading to the October 10, 2023 general and presidential elections.
According to information, a political argument ensued between Bahn, on one hand, and Anthony Lama and Junior Flehn, on the other hand, but the argument soon turned into a fistfight, with Lama and Flehn allegedly ganging up against Bahn and beating him to death.
The incident instigated a pandemonium in the district, with the youth beginning to attack each other based on political alignment and closeness to the individual involved in the situation. Fortunately, Nimba County’s district #4 Representative and CDC’s Campaign Chair of the county, Garrison Yealu, rescued the situation and restored calm.
The perpetrators, Lama and Flehn, are said to be the sons of Baccus Sayeh, a cousin of Senator Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice Standard Bearer of the Unity Party.
The Hot Pepper independently verified that Bahn was beaten for his political difference with Lama and Flehn, but observed mixed responses as it regards Bahn’s political affiliation. Some claimed he was a supporter of the CDC while others claimed he was a Unity Party (UP) partisan.
A release issued by the CDC Secretariat, headed by Jefferson T. Koijee, on Thursday, mourned the loss of partisan Aloysius G. Bahn, whom the party said met his untimely death in Nimba County to what was clearly an avoidable circumstance of electoral violence. “The Secretariat re-emphasizes the party’s commitment to violent-free elections and has taken the opportunity to inform the National Elections Commission (NEC) about these early signs of electoral violations from the Unity Party for their kind attention and prudent action,” the CDC release observed.
The Secretariat re-enforced the mandate of the Standard Bearer and President of the Republic, George M. Weah, that all campaign activities of the party are suspended for forty-eight (48) hours in honor of CDC partisans who are resting in martyrdom, requesting all partisans to observe this religiously.
“Furthermore, all partisans and sympathizers of the mighty Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) are now informed that Friday, August 25, 2023, has been designated for a candlelight vigil starting from 7:00 p.m. at the national headquarters in Congo Town,” the release disclosed.
But Nimba County Senator, Prince Y. Johnson, has claimed that victim Aloysius Bahn is a supporter of the UP/MDR, and that he was murdered by supporters of the CDC. He, too, revealed that he was attacked by CDC supporters, who threw stones and damaged his car’s window glasses.
In his Facebook post on Wednesday, Senator Johnson wrote, “In the town of Gbor-Wheiplay, situated in district #4 of Nimba County, I experienced an attack orchestrated by the representative of that district, Hon. Gunpue L. Kargon, who is no longer the choice of the people due to his selfish representation, disobedient and disrespectful behavior towards the people he represents.”
Senator Johnson stated, “I’m the one who helped him achieve his current position. Hon. Gunpue has received over 2 million dollars from the CDC government, which has failed to fulfill its promises to the Liberian people, including the payment of Nimba County’s land rental fees amounting to 9 million United States Dollars.”
According to him, the incident occurred during his campaign activities in that part of Nimba County, a place he said he holds dear to his heart.
“The attacks transpired when our campaign team visited a town named ‘Sole Vayanglay’. Here, CDC supporters, led by the head of the Good Governance Commission and former representative of district #4, Hon. Garrison D. Yealu (my own son, whom I propelled into Liberian politics), engaged in a clash with supporters of Rescue 2 and Unity Party Vice Standard Bearer, Hon. Jeremiah Kpan Koung. Unfortunately, this clash resulted in the tragic death of a young man aged between 22 and 25 years upon his arrival at the hospital.
“The situation escalated to such an extent that we were unable to find rest in Vayanglay Town that night. This was primarily due to the aggressive behavior exhibited by the CDC supporters, who fatally injured the young man by pelting him with rocks aimed at his abdomen.”
He continued, “As a devoted man of God and a senior senator representing the cherished people of Nimba County, my utmost priority is to maintain peace. My deep affection for my constituents compels me to avoid any form of conflict or violence.
“This sentiment motivated us to put ourselves in danger back in 1990 when we courageously rescued our people from oppression. We do not wish to return to those days when our people were homeless and hungry due to the dire circumstances they faced. See the damages they carried out on my car and my son was also wounded in the clash.”
However, a release issued by the leadership of the Doldeh Movement in Nimba County attributed the killing of Bahn to supporters of Senator Koung and the UP, describing the brutal stabbing that resulted into his death as a “callous act of insanity calculated and perpetrated by monstrous elements of nature who have no heart, conscience and sense of reasoning”.
According to the release, “On Monday, August 21, 2003, Mr. Aloysius G. Bahn was maliciously, purposefully and dangerously stabbed by two sons of Mr. Baccus Sayeh, cousin of Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice Standard Bearer of the Unity Party in Vayenglay Town, Soe Chiefdom, Twah River Administrative District, Nimba County, over simple political argument.”
The Doldeh Movement called on the Liberia National Police (LNP) to vigorously launch a manhunt for the killers, so that they are made to answer for their crime. “We also call on all well-meaning Nimbaians to rally forces, join efforts and build grassroots surveillance, especially along the border lines between Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, with the purpose of instituting citizens arrest for the suspects who are cowardly running into hiding.
“The Doldeh Movement is made to believe that the recent inciting statement made by leaders of the Unity Party, especially former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, may have prompted the action of their followers. It is quite unfortunate that the former ruling Unity Party and its Standard Bearer who claim to be peaceful and law-abiding would now provoke their followers into stabbing peaceful citizens on accounts of mere political disagreements.
“While the quest for political power is on-going, the Unity Party and their followers must note that no amount of blood-shedding can compensate for their election to political offices in Liberia. We therefore call on former Vice President Boakai and his followers to campaign on the merits of the issues and stop inflicting harm and destruction on the very people they claim their quest is intended to rescue.
“We do not rescue by killing and intimidating peaceful souls,” the release noted.