Montserrado County District 12 Representative Jerry K. Yogboh
[By Pewu Y. Sumo]
Monrovia – Montserrado County District 12 Representative Jerry K. Yogboh has expressed his opposition to capital punishment for drug traffickers in Liberia.
Speaking during a live appearance on Punch FM on September 17, 2025, the Montserrado County lawmaker said he sees the death penalty as a human rights violation and, as such, he cannot support such a penalty.
Representative Yogboh proposed an increase in the budget of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), insisting that such a move would empower the entity tasked with combating drugs as the surest way to curb drug trafficking in Liberia.
“I will not sign onto Legislation that will lead to death penalty”, said Rep. Yogboh, promising that, “I will sign up to putting more money into the budget and provide more resources for the LDEA”.
“We have given little or nothing to the LDEA to fight drugs. The LDEA is not equipped”, Rep. Yogboh argued, making specific reference to his district, where he alleged that officers of the LDEA use ‘kekeh’ (Tri-cycle) or are clustered in a pickup during operations.
Rep. Yogboh said, Liberia as a country cannot fight drugs without basic logistics. He blamed the government for not doing much in terms of logistical and budgetary support to the LDEA in the fight against drugs.
Rep. Yogboh called on colleagues at the Legislature to put more money in the budget to fight drugs, saying, “Let’s put more money into the budget to fight drugs because drugs are killing our children.”
“If you ask me today, the LDEA budget, if not the second, will be the third agency to carry the highest amount in the budget”, Rep. Yogboh said.
Rep. Yogboh’s proposal follows recent suggestions by Montserrado County District 8 Representative Prince A. Toles, who has repeatedly called for capital punishment for drug traffickers in Liberia, admit the alarming surge in drug and substance abuse among Liberian youths.
Since the August 7, 2025 “Say No to Drugs” rally, communities across Liberia have stood up against ghettoes in their various neighborhoods, with several raids by communities’ residents reported across Liberia.
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