The armed robberies occurred during the early morning hours of Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the concession area of the Firestone Rubber Plantation.
The victims have been identified as Firestone public relations manager, Rufus Karmorh, who sustained an injury to the head and was taken to the Duside Hospital; and chief of administrative affairs, Onu Abdallah Keshen.
Liberia National Police Chief Superintendent, Susannah Blackie, of the Roberts International Airport (RIA) Police Detachment, told the Daily Observer that she received a call at about 1:30 a.m. reporting an armed robbery in progress in the Firestone concession area. She said she immediately called the LNP Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to the scene.
The police superintendent did not say whether there was an exchange of fire in the area, but said that the ERU responded with efficiency and rounded up three of the robbers on the scene. The three have since been moved to the Central Police Headquarters in Monrovia. She added that several other alleged criminals were rounded up Wednesday morning in addition to the three that were arrested Tuesday morning.
Asked what could be done to avoid a recurrence of the situation, Blackie said assistance was needed in the area of logistics, which makes the work much easier.
She said that that no armed robberies had taken place in the concession area for some time; but that since more young men moved into the area of late, armed robberies have resumed in her control area.
“[The majority of the young men who] were arrested don’t live here,” she said. “They live in Monrovia; but they come [to Harbel], and their friends harbor them. Then, at night they go around damaging [property] and taking people’s things away,” she said.
But sources within the concession area are saying that some of the alleged armed robbers are men who were downsized from the Firestone security apparatus, the Plant Protection Department (PPD).
When contacted by the Daily Observer to elaborate on the burglary at her home, Keshen said that she was so stressed out that she could not make any comment until after an hour or so. When further contact was made, security personnel at Keshen’s home said she was sleeping and did not wanted to be bothered.
However, according to information gathered earlier by Observer, several armed men, some with machetes, knives and guns, entered the home of Keshen and took away her jewelry, money and laptop, among others items.
Karmorh, who was admitted at the Duside Hospital for the injury he sustained to his head, could not be contacted to explain what occurred at his home because medical officials said he was resting. (Tire Review/Akron)
