STAND Calls on Affected Motorcyclists to Be Patient -Calls Out LNP DIG for “Violent” Tendencies; But DIG Freeman Reacts

MONROVIA – In the wake of the Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), Liberia’s leading grassroots advocacy organization, having petitioned on Friday, March 10, 2025 the Supreme Court of Liberia to lift all restrictions on the free movement of motorbike and kehkeh riders in the newly established no-go zones in the Liberian capital, STAND has called on the affected vulnerable group to exercise restraint and avoid allowing the comments of the Director of Police or his Deputy to provoke them into any violent actions that will impinge on their good character.

“The intent is to provoke you and to put you into actions that will be used against you on the court premises, so don’t allow them to be provocative. You are represented by competent lawyers and the current case that seeks to compel government to raise restrictions on bike riders is before the chambers justice.

“I believed the Supreme Court Bench has the integrity, has the moral to render judgment in the interests of you the people. So, utterances from one Nelson Freeman who is being paid by tax payers to protect lives and properties should not provoke you,” said the STAND National Chairman Mulbah Morlu when he addressed a gathering of motorbike and kekeh riders on Monday.

Continuing, Chairman Morlu reminded the bike and kehkeh riders who are effected by the government’s arbitrary restrictions on the movement of commercial bikes that the Police Director Gregory Coleman is operating beyond his constituted authority, noting that IG Coleman is not above the law.

“Not even the Justice Minister is above the rule of law, not even the president. Even president Boakai is too small to attempt to be above the rule of law. My plead to you is to remain law abiding, respect the rule of law and give the court a chance. I strongly believe you have the law on your side, and the Justice in Chambers or the Supreme Court Bench will rule in this matter in your favor. I believed that.

“So let’s give the process a chance, look up to us. Your rights, your privileges as Liberian citizens will never be compromised.  Those that you placed before this process, your colleagues are doing well. They are working around the clock to ensure that everything is done to give you the necessary redress as aggrieved citizens who are being violated by an exploitation of power by the police.

“And I am speaking right at the Headquarters of the police. This building here was built and sanctioned to have officers with the responsibility to protect lives and properties, not to violate lives.

“And so don’t be afraid of police, the police is there to protect you. I am not saying all bike riders’ behavior is always consistent with the rule of law. There are bike riders whose behavior have created problems for most of you the kehkeh riders, and we don’t support that.

“But, there are hundreds of thousands of bike riders that are decent people that respect the rule of law, that have their families, that are responsible, that are students, which are even employers of their brothers and sisters, so you can not punish hundreds of thousands of people because of the behavior of a handful of disgruntled bike riders.

“It is wrong, and that’s why we are at the police headquarters. And we will not rest until justice is given to hundreds of thousands of bike riders, so don’t be afraid. The likes of Nelson Freeman have a history of violence in this country.

“Everybody knows his reputation, but regardless of his behavior, we must not take law into our hands since it is before the court, let’s give the court the chance render to judgment in this issue and in my view at the end of the day good will triumph  over  evil and bike riders, kehkeh riders’ rights will prevail.

“So thank you, in the next few days, I will ask your leaders to bring me to your different centers. We will come there, we will hold meetings, and we will speak to you on issues relevant to your interests and your security, and to your freedom of movement. So thank you, God bless you,” Chairman Morlu implored.

LNP DIGP/ OPS Replies STAND’s Morlu

Meanwhile, the office of the Deputy Inspector General of the Liberia National Police for Operations Cllr. J. Nelson Freeman has expressed shocked and dismayed over a Facebook post made by Mr. Mulbah K Morlu in which he misrepresented the deputy inspector General of threatening to “hit and kill bike riders” on the streets in the restricted zone.

In a release issued Monday, Cllr. Freeman wants the public to know that the statement made by Mr. Morlu is based on the foundation of falsehood and lacks every iota of truth.

The Deputy Inspector General office sees Mr. Morlu statement as one of his many “liquor talks” intended to rebuild his lost reputation that he has damaged over the years, admonishing the public not to take such character serious.

“We would like to restate that the restricted zone regulations will remind in place and its enforcement does not require the hitting and killing of any rider that will be caught violating the regulations.

“About a week ago the Liberia National Police under the watch of the Deputy Inspector General of Police for Operations tuned over sixteen motorbikes to its operators with a caveat, not to continue violating the police regulation, stressing that the police and motorcyclists are not adversaries,

“We are encouraging bike riders and operators to be mindful of individuals who want to use the current enforcement exercise to rebuild their broken character by engaging in spreading falsehood to cyclists and the public.

 “Cllr. J. Nelson Freeman is an outstanding   law enforcement professional for more than seventeen (17) years with a track record of serving in numerous capacities of trust within the Liberia National Police and can never make such a reckless statement being attributed to him.

“We are calling on all motorcyclists to adhere to the regulation   and govern themselves accordingly as such regulation is in the best interest of the motorcyclists as well as the public,” the statement from LNP Dep Inspector General Freeman said.

It can be recalled that STAND on March 10, 2025 filed a petition before the Justice in Chambers Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson, with the petitioners representing the National Keke & Motorbike Riders Welfare & Advocacy Organization (NAKEMOR), as well as all motorbike and kehkeh riders in Liberia, through STAND. The case names the Government of Liberia as the respondent, represented by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Oswald Tweh, Solicitor General Augustine Fayiah, and the Liberia National Police, led by Inspector General Gregory Coleman, among others.

Represented by its legal counsel, Cllr. Sayma Cyrenius Cephus, STAND through its Chief Executive Officer Mulbah K. Morlu, has requested the Supreme Court to issue a Writ of Prohibition, seeking, among other things to lift all restrictions preventing motorbike and kehkeh riders from accessing Monrovia, Duala Market, and other areas; stop the Liberia National Police from seizing motorbikes and kekes or imposing excessive fines on riders; and uphold riders’ rights under Article 13 of the 1986 Constitution and the Vehicle & Traffic Law of Liberia, ensuring fair treatment of licensed operators.