Liberia’s Drug Crisis: Is the LDEA Part of the Problem or Solution?
MONROVIA—The Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA), established as the nation’s frontline defense against narcotics, now finds itself at the center of a raging storm. Is this institution truly combating Liberia’s devastating drug epidemic, or has it become an accomplice in the very crisis it was created to fight?
This pressing question echoes through the streets of Monrovia and beyond, as repeated scandals involving senior officials undermine public trust and threaten to derail the country’s fight against substance abuse.
A Crisis of Confidence: The Payne Scandal
The recent controversy surrounding Abraham Okai Payne, the LDEA’s Deputy Director for Operations, has brought these concerns to a boiling point. In a shocking audio recording that went viral, Payne was heard attempting to strong-arm junior officers into releasing his daughter, who had been arrested in a drug den known as a “ghetto.”
The recording reveals a disturbing exchange where Payne threatens an agent who refused his order: “You will not wear that uniform again.” The agent maintained that Payne’s daughter had been found nude with parcels of narcotics and a group of men in a zinc-roofed house, putting up “stiff resistance” that included attacking an officer.
This incident didn’t just embarrass the agency—it exposed what many Liberians have long suspected: that some within the LDEA might be protecting rather than prosecuting drug offenders. How can an institution effectively combat drug trafficking when its own senior officials appear to be undermining enforcement efforts?
Presidential Intervention: Sweeping Changes at the Top
President Joseph Boakai responded with decisive action, dismissing the entire leadership team of the LDEA just one day after the Payne scandal erupted. The move affected Director General Anthony K. Souh, Deputy Director General for Administration Gwee K. Porkpah, and Deputy Director General for Operations Sebastian Farr.
This marks the second time in just over a year that President Boakai has cleaned house at the troubled agency. In June 2024, he suspended then-Director General Abraham S. Kromah and two deputies following what the Executive Mansion described as “acts of disorder and chaos” at LDEA headquarters—incidents reportedly connected to the protection of an alleged drug lord.
The President appointed an interim team led by Deputy Commissioner of Liberia National Police, Fitzgerald T. M. Biago, as Officer-in-Charge, with support from Ernest T. Tarpeh and Assistant Commissioner of Police Patrick B. Kormazu. The new leadership has been instructed to report directly to Justice Minister Oswald Tweh, who will keep the President updated on the agency’s performance.
Systemic Challenges: Beyond Individual Scandals
While the Payne incident captured national attention, it represents just the tip of the iceberg regarding the challenges facing the LDEA. The agency has long been dogged by allegations of corruption, weak enforcement, and poor coordination with other security agencies.
Disturbing reports suggest that some LDEA officers engage in practices that directly contradict their mandate. There are accounts of officers planting drugs on innocent citizens during searches—a tactic allegedly used to extort money or secure arrests when legitimate evidence is lacking.
One traveler along the Greenville-Barclayville corridor received a whispered warning from a bystander: “Be careful because they will drop a small parcel into your bag or belonging, and later apprehend you for being in possession of drugs.”
Even more alarming are persistent allegations that some officers resell drugs seized from smugglers, effectively becoming distributors themselves. If true, this would represent a catastrophic failure of institutional integrity that directly fuels the drug crisis.
The Human Cost: Liberia’s Youth in Peril
Beyond the bureaucratic reshuffling and political maneuvering lies the stark human reality of Liberia’s drug epidemic. The proliferation of substances with chilling names like “kush,” “zombie,” and “spark and die” has devastated communities across the country.
Young Liberians are dying in alarming numbers from overdoses and drug-related violence. Many who survive find themselves living on the streets, with some reportedly taking refuge in graveyards—spaces traditionally reserved for the dead now becoming home to the living casualties of the drug trade.
President Boakai has rightly characterized substance abuse as an “existential threat to Liberia’s future, especially its children,” noting that the drug trade fuels violence and insecurity throughout the nation.
Path Forward: Restoring Trust and Effectiveness
The President has instructed the Ministry of Justice to conduct a comprehensive review of the LDEA’s structure, functions, and operations, with recommendations due within 90 days. This assessment comes at a critical juncture for the agency and for Liberia’s anti-drug efforts more broadly.
Meaningful reform will require more than just changing personnel at the top. The LDEA needs strengthened accountability mechanisms, better training and compensation for officers, improved forensic capabilities, and enhanced coordination with international partners fighting drug trafficking.
Equally important is addressing the demand side of the equation through expanded treatment and rehabilitation services. Currently, rehabilitation centers remain limited and under-resourced, leaving many addicts with nowhere to turn for help.
A Nation Watches and Waits
As the interim leadership takes charge at the LDEA, all eyes will be on whether this shake-up translates into tangible progress against drug trafficking and abuse. The challenges are immense, but so too are the stakes for Liberia’s future.
Can the LDEA transform from what critics call a “canopy of abetting the drugs crisis” into an effective institution worthy of public trust? The answer to this question will help determine whether Liberia can reverse the tide of addiction that threatens to engulf a generation.
For ordinary Liberians watching these developments, the hope is that this latest scandal will serve as a catalyst for genuine reform rather than just another chapter in a recurring cycle of controversy and temporary fixes. The fight against drugs requires institutions that are part of the solution, not contributors to the problem.
The post LDEA: ABETING OR FIGHTING DRUGS? appeared first on New Republic Liberia News.