Liberia: Senator Kogar Demands Suspension of Security Chiefs Over Airport Cocaine Saga

Nimba County Senator Samuel Kogar wants Liberia's top security chiefs suspended and investigated over the interception of 19 kilograms of suspected cocaine at Roberts International Airport, saying the case exposed dangerous cracks in the country's security architecture.

Speaking on the sidelines of Cuttington University's 64th graduation convocation, Kogar demanded a fast-tracked, independent investigation into how the consignment moved through one of Liberia's most heavily guarded entry points without early detection. He named the head of the Liberia National Police among the officials who should step aside.

The lawmaker questioned the effectiveness of the joint security apparatus, noting that officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Liberia National Police and the National Security Agency were all stationed at the airport when the drugs were seized.

The failure to catch the suspected narcotics earlier raises "serious suspicion," he said, and it calls into question whether the lapse stemmed from incompetence or internal compromise.

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"In any sound government, the heads of these agencies would be suspended pending investigation," Kogar said, arguing that leadership accountability is needed to restore public confidence.

He cited international precedent, pointing to a reported case in South Africa in which authorities moved against a justice minister over a drug-related scandal involving a family member. Liberia, he said, must show the same decisiveness.

Kogar warned that a weak response from the Boakai administration could embolden criminal networks and further erode security systems already under public scrutiny.

"The President must be decisive to suspend the heads of the joint security," he said, adding that the investigation so far appears slow and inadequate given the gravity of the seizure.

He described the case as a critical test of President Joseph Boakai's commitment to combating drug trafficking in Liberia.

Kogar also turned on the ruling Unity Party, recalling its past condemnation of the former CDC-led government over rising drug abuse. The problem, he said, has worsened rather than improved.

"They criticized the George Weah administration for doing little to fight drugs, but today the situation has doubled under the Boakai administration. Drugs are being processed and prepared for export," he claimed.