By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia, Liberia – The Congress for Democratic Change has directly accused Liberia National Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman of orchestrating an assassination attempt against STAND Lead Campaigner Mulbah K. Morlu Jr. during Thursday’s protest.
In a statement issued Friday by National Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo, the CDC alleged that an “armed operative” was planted inside a peaceful STAND demonstration. The party described the incident not as a security lapse, but as a “direct and calculated threat to the life of Mulbah Morlu and other peaceful citizens.”
According to the CDC, the individual was identified and disarmed by protesters. The party further claims that after the incident, IG Coleman shifted focus by accusing STAND of distributing arms, and then ordered the arrest of Morlu at his residence — even after Morlu had “voluntarily surrendered to the Court Sheriff.”
“The CDC regards this sequence of events as evidence of a coordinated assassination operation—not legitimate law enforcement,” the statement said. “Gregory Coleman cannot plant an armed criminal inside a peaceful political protest, falsely accuse the victims, arrest the intended target, and then escape personal responsibility.”
Allegation of a pattern
The CDC linked Thursday’s incident to a March 31, 2026 event in Wrotto Town, alleging that IG Coleman attempted a similar action against Representative Frank Saah Foko Jr. The party said the two incidents “reveal a dangerous pattern of Coleman’s assassination attempt against perceived opposition figures.”
The CDC also accused IG Coleman of acting “with the full knowledge, authority, and protection” of the Boakai-Koung administration, and not independently.
Demands and broader condemnation
The opposition party is demanding three immediate actions:
1. The release and protection of Mulbah K. Morlu
2. An independent investigation into the armed individual found at the protest
3. The dismissal of IG Coleman and “every official who authorized or supported this operation”
The CDC also condemned what it called “ongoing police violence” against civilians in the Battery Factory community along the Japan Freeway, describing it as part of “a growing culture of police blood letting and mayhem against peaceful citizens.”
The statement contrasted the police response to protests with what the CDC called government inaction on “cocaine dealers, including the unresolved US$19 million drug scandal.”
“The CDC will not remain silent while state security institutions are used to threaten lives, suppress peaceful dissent, and criminalize political opposition,” the party warned. “CDC will intervene if circumstances compel in defense of constitutional governance.”
Response pending
As of press time, the Liberia National Police and the office of IG Gregory Coleman had not issued a public response to the CDC’s allegations. The LNP earlier this week issued a statement regarding a firearm linked to the July 17 protest and named Mr. Morlu in connection with the matter, calling for the weapon to be surrendered.
Mr. Morlu has publicly denied possessing a firearm.
Human rights and civil society groups have in recent months raised concerns about the use of force during protests in Monrovia. The government has consistently maintained its commitment to upholding constitutional rights while ensuring public safety.
The latest standoff now sets up a direct confrontation between the opposition, the police leadership, and the Boakai administration, with calls for an independent investigation likely to intensify in the coming days.
