“We Did Not Compromise Nimba Shooting”

-Police IG Rubbishes Media Report

By R Joyclyn Wea

Police Inspector General, Col. Patrick Sudue has rubbished media reports accusing the LNP IG of comprising recent shooting incident in Nimba County.

Police IG Patrick Sudue

Making the rebuttal Thursday, April 19, 2018 Col. Sudue said the LNP did not compromise the Nimba shooting incident as been speculated.

Col. Sudue explained that the police did not compromise the shooting in Nimba as reported in the media, but rather mediated the longstanding crisis between people of the two towns in district #4 since according to him, there was no information provided by the people regarding the shooting.

“We also took cue from the TRC which calls for town hall dialogue and from our police training that involved community policing. we put the people together and settle the matter at the end of the day. Yealue’s people acknowledged that they were in the wrong and appealed to the other party,” he said.

The New Democrat Thursday edition alleged that the police compromised the aspect of disorderly conduct, criminal facilitation, and attempted murder among others, something the police boss stated was not the case.

“When we got the people out of the bushes, nobody could speak as to what actually transpired though we try talking to them. We from the LNP know when people break the law they have to be booked, but again even if someone complained to you alleging they were beaten and does not come back to the police station as a complainant, you as police officer cannot serve as a complainant. The people who accused did not explained anything. So, in this case we as police decided to play a mediatory role,” IG Sudue noted.

The police IG said in the instant case, a mass arrest could not have resolved the problem therefore, the TRC approach which according to him gave the police good option to handle matter was used to bring the situation to its logical conclusion.

He asserted that electoral matters are one that should be handled with care.

“We told chief and elders to give us information that will lead to the person who did the shooting in the bush because such person should be dealt with according to law,” he added.

He lamented that an amount of 12,500 Liberian dollars and US$70 dollars were collected by the people and given to one John whom claimed his properties were damaged during the process in accordance with their tradition.

Even though the police IG claimed no one explained the situation to the police but admitted to speaking with the victim of the April 16, 2018, shooting, but was told by the victim he could not identify who the perpetrator was.