The Konobo Administrative District Urban Youth (KADUY) has issued statement relating to the alleged missing of the Acting National Elections Commission Magistrate in the Grand Gedeh County, Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner, and subsequent attacks on those searching for him in Niao, Grand Gedeh County, below is a press statement released this week by the group:
Members and officials of the Konobo Administrative District Urban Youth, Grandgedeans both in and out of Liberia, fellow Liberians:
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press:
Good afternoon and thank you for honoring our invitation to today’s press conference.
I will like to shed light on the current prevailing issue in Grand Gedeh County and close with KADUY Position on the matter.
Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner was appointed by NEC boss, Madam Davietta Brown Lansana, as Acting Elections Magistrate in Grand Gedeh County, where he steered the affairs of the NEC and conducted the free, fair and transparent Senatorial Election that brought Hon. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue to office as Senator of Grand Gedeh County in 2020. Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner also conducted the recent 2021 by-election that brought Hon. Erol Madison Gwion to the Legislature as Representative of District #1, Grand Gedeh County.
Members of the press:
About a month ago, the NEC Acting Magistrate had been battling with his health. Mr. Alfred Taliey Dunner, being a professional nurse decided to seek medical attention. But his wife advised and took him to a herbalist in her home town in Naio clan, Grand Gedeh County because of the spiritual nature that characterized his illness. While they were in Niao, the NEC acting Magistrate, Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner, mysteriously disappeared from the house with his computer at about 2:00am on May 3, 2022.
Members of the press:
Being a son of Konobo Administrative District, Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner’s mysterious disappearance caught the attention of the people of Konobo. So, the Konobo people decided to send men to Naio to find out the circumstances regarding their son’s life and subsequently employed a search for Mr. Dunner in various bushes.
While searching for the NEC Magistrate, the Konobo people were attacked by residence of Niao. Niao residents chopped our people from Konobo with machetes and shot at them with single barrel guns. They chopped some of our brothers with cutlasses and fired bullets at them! As we speak eight of our brothers are on the critical condition list at the Tubman Memorial Hospital in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
Members of the press:
The Konobo Administrative District Urban Youth, based in Monrovia strongly denounces the mysterious disappearance of NEC Acting Magistrate, Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner. We also condemn, in the strongest terms, the attempted murder and terroristic acts against our kinsmen in Naio Clan, Grand Gedeh County.
The perpetual silence by the state security in the county and the failure of the county authorities to have those perpetrators arrested and investigated is creating fear in the citizens, indicating that they are taking side with those inflicting havoc and distress in our county.
Members of the Press:
You can have the photos of our brothers that were chopped and shot in cold blood!
We are calling on:
National Government (President George Manneh Weah)
The Human Rights Commission
The Religious Council
Traditional Council
And all well many Liberians, home and abroad, to collectively ensure a full, speedy and impartial investigation as soon as possible to help maintain peace in that part of the county,
to press on all those concerned to bring our son, brother, and father, the NEC acting Magistrate, Mr. Alfred Tailey Dunner back to us alive and normal!
This is not a threat. But we must say that this situation has the propensity to derail the peace in Grand Gedeh and sour the relationship between the Konobo people and the Niao people.
Konobo people are peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Notwithstanding, we are noted for resisting any attempt to take advantage of our meekness or to take us for granted.
At some point, Konobo people hold the view that “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. We mean that the disappearance of Alfred Tailey Dunner and the attacks on our people in Niao have the propensity to evoke anger among and subsequent action by the Konobo people.
We are cognizant of the fact that the international community spent resources and even lost lives to restore peace to this country after 14 years of civil war. We do not want the money and lives of our international partners to go in vain. That is why we are calling on all stakeholders to do the right things without further delay. And the right things are: bring Alfred’s living body (with all consciousness) back and arrest those that committed attempted murder, terrorism, and aggravated assault against our people, the Konobo people.
I want to say thank you for the privilege given to me by the Konobo Administrative District Urban Youth and the media to communicate this to the Liberian people and the world.
I thank you.
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