The Crime Services Division of the Liberia National Police (LNP) assigned in Grand Gedeh County is investigating over 19 Burkinabes nationals and a Liberian forwarded to them by the Regional office of the Forestry Development Authority FDA for “illegal farming activities.”
According a report, a team of FDA rangers headed by Evans Kiatamba, the Regional Forester Region 4, the Burkinabees and a Liberian were arrested on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Kiatamba disclosed in an interview at the Police headquarters in Zwedru that the Burkinabees were allegedly taken into the EURO Logging Company concession areas by a Liberian identified as Gbeyee Dweh, who is also undergoing police investigations.
Kiatamba also mentioned that the Burkinabees were involved in some illegal and unsustainable activities, including farming, burning forest trees and Cocoa planting, something he said, contravened the concession act ratified by the legislature in 1976 and assigned to the FDA.
The act gives the right to the FDA as custodian to monitor concessions. He noted that they will engage communities in the concession areas and reserved forests to ensure that those involved in all forms of illegal and unsustainable activities are removed from there.
According to him, the present case is just one among many instances where predominantly Burkinabes are discovered in the concession areas and reserved forests.
He confirmed the occurrence of such situations at the Sarpo National Park, Grebo – Krahn National Park, and proposed Kwa National Park and several community forests in the region, adding: “we will ensure that all those responsible for the movement of the Burkinabes, miners, hunters into the forests are equally prosecuted, according to the law.
Meanwhile, the LNP has begun preliminary investigations with the Burkinabes and Liberian reported to them by the FDA and established charges for onward prosecution accordingly. The 19 alleged suspects are currently in police custody in Zwedru.
In recent years, the police stations, courts, offices of the Liberia Land Authority, and communities have been overwhelmed by land cases either between family members, communities or Burkinabees and Liberians.
Records have shown that more than 10,000 Burkinabes have illegally crossed into the country, mainly Southeastern counties where they are involved in farming and planting of cocoa. LINA