By Alex Yomah
About 192 trained to carry firearms in the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) have graduated with expertise in protecting Liberia against regional threats.
Besides the regional threats, the Commissioner General of LIS, Robert Budy who also confirmed the porosity of the Liberian borders said with the deployment of the firearms personnel, the issues of illegal farming in Liberia territorial areas as well as illegal mining with come to an end.
Commissioner Budy disclosed that the graduates who are trained to possess firearms will be strategically assigned to protect the country’s porous border points against regional terrorists.
According to LIS boss, the Service which is a critical component of the Ministry of justice is charged with the mandate to enforce the Nationality Law of Liberia amongst other statutory mandates and to protect and safe the territorial boundaries of the country from illegal entries.
“We have threats in the region which probably many Liberians might be aware of and we have threats hovering over the region like the Jihadists Movement and also the Islamic militants terrorizing the borders therefore the decision to provide firearms for border patrol personnel is vital,” Budy stated.
According to Col. Budy, three month ago, most of the Ivorian Immigration security personnel assigned at the North of that country’s border with Burkinafiso were attacked on numerous occasions while some were gunned down and, “These attacks were carried out by jihadists.”
However, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), General Prince C. Johnson lll, warned against the mishandling of the arms that are being entrusted with the graduates.
He reminded the gathering that the war in Liberia was due to the misuse of weapons by then and cautioned those selected to handle lethal weapons to handle them not only with care but also with accountability.
“The way you guys will handle the arms will not push the army to reshuffle of those handling the arms and post vitally instead, it will show to our international partners who trained the army that, Liberians are not ready to revert to war anymore,” he cautioned.
General Johnson advised that officers who are not in uniform are not permissible to carry arm while those caring arms are not absolutely allowed to expose their firearms stating, “Your arms must always be hidden under you uniform. Showing arms is wrong and any officer found in the habit of exposing his/her weapon must be disarmed.”
He assured that officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia will always serve as monitors of personnel of the LIS and LNP who will be assigned at the border with firearms.