Police in Sanniquellie City, Nimba County, have arrested and jailed Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh, a former senatorial candidate in the 2022–2023 Nimba County Elections. Selekpoh, who is also the Executive Director of the Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh Foundation, was taken into custody and is being held at the Sanniquellie Central Prison pending court proceedings. The arrest was made after a creditor accused him of failing to repay a loan of nearly US$14,000.
The complaint was filed by Pharaze Dekpah, Chief Executive Officer of DETA-Loan Incorporated, who provided the funds to Selekpoh during the 2022–2023 Campaign Period. Dekpah alleged that the money was used for campaign activities and that repeated attempts to recover the debt were unsuccessful, prompting the formal complaint. Police officials confirmed the arrest but said the case is now before the court and that investigators will present evidence during prosecution.
Selekpoh has not issued any public statement in response to the allegations. The arrest has sparked tension in the area, with many residents expressing concern over the situation. In a separate but related public order concern in Nimba County, a Ganta businessman, Oil Seller Alfred Suah, has threatened legal action against officers of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Suah alleged that LDEA officers entered his home while he and his wife were away, seized more than 80,000 Liberian Dollars and took clothing and other personal items. Suah said the money represents business proceeds, including daily susu savings, and insisted that he sells palm oil, not drugs. He announced plans to sue the LDEA and its Nimba County leadership over the alleged raid and seizure.
Multiple Ganta residents and local business owners expressed outrage and frustration with the LDEA's leadership, accusing the agency of failing to control a worsening drugs problem in the city. Several residents reported that Ganta has become a center for drug consumption among youth and that drug-related violence, including attacks with cutlasses and other weapons after dark, has surged in recent months.
Local health facilities reported treating more than ten people for stab wounds and other injuries sustained during violent incidents linked to drug use. Business owners said the violence has damaged commerce and terrified both traders and customers, particularly after 6 p.m. along the Ganta–Guinea Border Road, a once-busy corridor now frequently avoided by residents after dusk.
Meanwhile, the LDEA Nimba County Commander Bill Cooper declined to comment when quizzed about the alleged raid on Suah's house. Community leaders said the apparent normalization of drug activity is straining social services and local law enforcement. The situation in Ganta remains a concern for residents and authorities alike.
Key points
- Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh, a former senatorial candidate, has been arrested and jailed over an alleged US$14,000 loan dispute.
- A Ganta businessman, Oil Seller Alfred Suah, has threatened legal action against LDEA officers over an alleged raid and seizure of his property.
- Residents in Ganta are expressing frustration with the LDEA's leadership, accusing the agency of failing to control a worsening drugs problem in the city.
