—- As Huge Cache of Arms Goes Missing from Immigration Services Armory
IPNEWS: Uneasiness and fear is said to be mounting within Bushrod Island and its environs in the wake of speculation linking former rebel General Augustine Jarnynneh Nagbe alias “General Power”, to secret recruitment and training of former rebel fighters and some members of the feared “Sabu Unit” at the abandoned Star base, which formerly hosted the Liberia Coast Guard.
According to highly placed security sources, ‘General’ Power is said to be training at least 600 able-bodied men between the ages of 15 and 34 on the abandoned property.
The authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper covert visit on the base, saw hundreds of youths, spread across the base in various midshaft structures. Most of them were dressed in military uniforms.
For fear for their lives, IPNEWS undercover reporters were advised not to enter the premises with cameras or recorders.
IPNEWS team could not independently confirm ongoing military training activities. However, Augustine Nagbe alias “General Power” told this news outlet via mobile phone that the report of training was untrue. According to him, he is operating a ‘rehabilitation center’ at the Star Base for drug-using youths for reintegration into society.
Power further said that he currently has at least 300 youths at his rehabilitation center.
He narrated that among the youths, are kids that he is currently sending to school alongside 34 ladies within the facility. He contends that there is no need for uneasiness because of his name being mentioned and at the same time encouraged others to visit his Star base facility to see the work that he is doing.
IPNEWS under-covered team saw several makeshift structures and somehow what looks like a room in which some drug ridden youths were being attended to.
“This acquisition is not true. Let the Liberian people come and see what I am doing here. I got a 14-bedroom hospital in which the drug addicted kids are being treated,” General Power stated.
On the question of whether or not he has been investigated by security forces, General Power responded in the negative; however, stated that he currently has operationalized his private Mano River Guard Service as a legal firm under the laws of Liberia and is currently providing security at the facility.
When contacted, National Security Advisor, Cllr. Kofi Woods and Police Inspector General, Gregory O.W. Coleman, could not speak to IPNEWS inquiry on whether or not the government is aware about the huge presence of drug taking youths under the protection of General Power at the Star base.
July 2019, the ex-rebel General Augustine Nagbe, who hails from Grand Kru County threatened to organize members of his ethnic group to form a force that would rise in defense of former President George Manneh Weah, should anyone try to attack him.
General Power stated that he remains a proud Kru man and would be ever ready to use his military training for the defense of the Kru people. He also pledged to defend the President, though he has no employment in the government.
“I’m a Kru warrior; I’m the warrior for the Kru people. I don’t care how anybody takes it. We are in Liberia but I’ll always defend my Kru people, trust me. Today, we’ve got a Kru man in power, but I don’t have power. I will not talk to him anyhow, when the time comes, he’ll bring me to government. He’s the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Liberia, I’ll defend him and if anybody tries to molest him, the way they had Lofa Defense Force, you’ll see the Kru Defense Force,” he said.
General Power allegedly led a team of Liberia National Police Officers to shut down Roots FM in which the government claimed was operating in violation of section 15 of the Telecommunication Act of 2007 and Chapter 11 section 11.2(d) of the criminal procedure law.
Though not a police officer or a court sheriff, he was also reported to have been involved with the removal of equipment belonging to the station from the building.
He was further quoted as saying Henry P. Costa, manager of Roots F.M. could not keep using the station to incite citizens against the government, while operating illegally.
For Rep. Yekeh Kolubah, also an ex-combatant was being summoned by General Power and other ex-combatants to provide them explanations for his utterances against the President.
“If you pose threat to this country, militia would come back to being,” he said.
Amidst this report of an alleged secret training by General Power, the authoritative Independent Probe has uncovered that huge consignment of weapons are unaccounted from the Liberia Immigration Service armory.
According to the report, those weapons were order released from the armory of the Liberia Immigration Service by its Senior Inspector Fayia Fallambu, who was said to be acting on the instruction of the former Chief of Protocol, Ms. Nora Finda Bundoo.
The report further reveals how former Chief of Protocol Bundoo allegedly instructed Senior Inspector Fallambu to deploy security ahead of former President George Weah’s arrival in Lofa County during the height of the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
It can be recalled that Senior Inspector Fallambu and former representative Francis Sakala Nyumalin clashed over the proliferation of armed Immigration personnel in Lofa during that time.
IPNEWS understands that up to today’s date, all those weapons that were taken from the armory of the Liberia Immigration Service are yet to be retrieved and accounted for.
Sources tell IPNEWS that several officials of the Weah-led Administration are said to be reporting their assigned arms. While some have outrightly refused to handover their weapons, according to state security sources.
This week, the Director of the Executive Protection Service, Mr. Sam Gaye, declared the former Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), Pepsi Yeke, “armed and dangerous” for being in possession of an EPS weapon assigned to him by the past administration.
A release signed by the EPS Director Sam Gaye requested all Law Enforcement officers to detain and turn over the suspect Pepsi Yeke to the authorities of the Presidential guards.
Former chief of Protocol could not be reached up to press time due to none reply to IPNEWS inquiry. Investigation continues
