Jefferson Tamba Koijee, who serves as the Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and is a former Mayor of Monrovia, is calling for the immediate removal of Liberia National Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman. In a social media post from August 4, 2025, Koijee accused IG Coleman of creating a culture of brutality, political favoritism, and public humiliation within the police force. He stressed that Liberia can no longer accept leadership that values image over integrity, cruelty over justice, and political agendas over the well-being of its citizens.
Koijee voiced his worries that under Coleman’s command, the police have shifted from being protectors of public safety to instruments of fear. He criticized the Liberia National Police (LNP) press release regarding the Newport Street incident on July 22, 2025, calling it a calculated cover-up—a smokescreen designed to obscure brutality, excuse misconduct, and defend the indefensible. He remarked, “Under the failed and politicized leadership of Inspector General Coleman, the LNP has become a force that no longer serves the people but instead terrorizes, humiliates, and silences them.”
Koijee also pointed out that the police, whose main duty is to safeguard lives and property, have turned into a hub for political operatives who are executing innocent Liberians right under the eyes of civilians. He raised alarm over a disturbing rise in violent incidents and deadly encounters involving police officers, referencing specific cases like the deaths of 17-year-old James Kandy on July 1, 2024, Manoba Mohammed in Brewerville, and Josephus Tukpeh in Caldwell.
Koijee claimed that these tragedies have unfolded without any real accountability or justice for the victims’ families, often masked as investigations into power theft. The CDC Secretary General argued that these deaths reflect a systemic failure within the police force, which he attributes to IG Coleman’s leadership style that he believes has fostered lawlessness.
He criticized a widely shared video where Coleman publicly scolded and humiliated a female officer, Hellen N. Cooper, during what seemed to be a disciplinary meeting. ‘Coleman’s public shaming of Officer Hellen N. Cooper, a married woman and mother of two, really highlights his toxic leadership style. Sitting there with his legs crossed like some self-important celebrity, he scolded and belittled a dedicated officer who has spent years serving the force,” he remarked.
Koijee accused Coleman of turning internal police issues into media spectacles for his own gain. “While these senseless killings rob lives, Gregory Coleman is busy making TikTok videos,” he said. He described the Liberia National Police as a stage for arrogance and ego, rather than a beacon of discipline and professionalism, especially under IG Coleman’s leadership.
The former Lord Mayor emphasized that the blood and dignity of innocent Liberians are crying out for justice. Jefferson Koijee believes that firing Gregory Coleman would be a vital step in rebuilding public trust in the police force. Coleman has been linked to the torture of Andrew Lawson and Albert Weah, who are currently on trial for their alleged involvement in the arson attack on the Capitol Building in December 2024.
It was under IG Coleman’s orders that the Kinjor killings took place on February 29, 2024, during a violent clash between the Liberia National Police (LNP) and protesters in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County. The protesters were demonstrating against the Bea Mountain Mining Company (BMMC) when they were met with police force, resulting in the deaths of three unarmed civilians, including Essah Massaley and Abraham Kerkula. While the police claimed the protesters were a threat, eyewitnesses and human rights organizations dispute this, asserting that the victims were shot in the back while trying to escape.
Emmanuel Sensee, Diaspora Alert contributing editor- [email protected] +231886005333
