Former Montserrado County lawmaker and CDC stalwart, Moses Acarous Gray, has issued a fiery 24-hour ultimatum to the Liberia National Police (LNP), demanding the immediate release of former Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and other detained lawmakers or face the wrath of nationwide protests.
Gray’s statement comes on the heels of the LNP’s decision to charge and detain Koffa and four other sitting lawmakers in connection with a high-profile Capitol Building arson plot that has shaken the nation’s political foundation. The former Speaker stands accused of masterminding the attack, allegedly using his office staff to execute a firebombing scheme.
Speaking on Spoon 107.5 FM yesterday, Gray escalated tensions with a bold public threat:
“We will evoke the provision of the Constitution, and we will not escape. Gregory Coleman can bring the fire truck outside, Gregory can bring the police outside. If tomorrow comes, let me put myself on record… If Gregory Coleman arrests Fonati Koffa and the 4 to 5 CDC lawmakers tomorrow, Gregory Coleman will arrest over 1,000 Liberians tomorrow at the national police headquarters of the Republic of Liberia.”
Gray also stated he was prepared to unleash 1,000 supporters in defense of the former Speaker and the other detained lawmakers — most of whom are loyal partisans of the CDC. His remarks have sparked both criticism and concern across political and civil society circles, with some labeling the threat as incitement.
Speaking outside LNP headquarters in Monrovia, Gray did not mince words.
“We will disembark appropriately and return tomorrow,” he warned, surrounded by a group of loyal supporters, signaling a readiness to mobilize mass action if his demands are not met.
The statement has sparked immediate concern among security officials and political observers who fear the threat could heighten tensions at an already fragile moment in Liberian politics.
Sources within the CDC confirmed that party hardliners are rallying behind Gray, with plans reportedly underway to organize demonstrations should the LNP fail to comply.
Police authorities have not yet responded publicly to the ultimatum but maintain that the arrests were made on the basis of “substantial evidence” and that the case will proceed through the appropriate judicial channels.
Gray’s move raises the stakes in what is quickly becoming one of Liberia’s most explosive political crises since the end of the civil war, one that pits law enforcement and judicial processes against partisan loyalty and street pressure.
As the 24-hour deadline looms, all eyes are on Capitol Hill and LNP headquarters.
Geez Liberia will continue to monitor this developing story.
