A devastating fire consumed the home of Ma-Hawa, an elderly struggling widow, on Sunday, December 22, between 7 and 8 PM.
According to witnesses, the fire broke out while Ma-Hawa was attending evening prayers at the Gardnersville community mosque.
Neighbors acted swiftly, trying their best to extinguish the flames, but their efforts were in vain as the ferocious blaze reduced the house and all its contents to ashes.
The shock of losing her home rendered Ma-Hawa unconscious for several hours upon hearing the heartbreaking news.
In a tearful lament, Ma-Hawa blamed the fire on the “Sabu Unit,” a militant group associated with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), reportedly composed of former combatants.
She expressed her sorrow, saying, “Ayy God! So those bad people are still after my son Sekou Konneh until they have burned our only sleeping place along with all our belongings, but God is there.”
Ma-Hawa’s son, Sekou Konneh, a vocal critic of the government’s corruption and alleged ritualistic killings, has been repeatedly harassed by state security forces. He has faced numerous questioning by state security forces and threats, allegedly from the Sabu Unit.
“I told Sekou to stay away from government business, but he wouldn’t listen. See where it has landed us now; he was forced to run from home, and now they have burned the only sleeping place I have,” Ma-Hawa cried.
Decontee Quah, a neighbor, corroborated Ma-Hawa’s claims, confirming that the militant group had previously threatened Sekou and his mother, promising to kill them if Sekou continued his activism.
The Sabu Unit is believed to operate under the control of former Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee, a senior leader in the CDC who is currently under U.S. sanction for human rights abuses.
The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia noted Koijee’s involvement in organizing paramilitary-style groups that recruited former combatants and released prisoners from prison to suppress opposition and government critics violently.
“Koijee has a reputation for stoking violence and has a powerful grip on Monrovia’s youth. He controls paramilitary-style organizations associated with the CDC, allegedly recruiting former combatants and recently released prisoners,” the U.S. Embassy stated.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) cited several incidents involving Koijee, including violent disruptions of opposition rallies and protests, bribery, and the misappropriation of state assets.
Notwithstanding, Mayor Koijee has denied all the allegations as baseless and lack of evidence, accusing the U.S. government of politically witch-hunting him and other CDC politicians.