The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the attack on journalists Franklin Doloquee of FrontPageAfrica while he was reporting live on Facebook, and demands appropriate sanctions against the perpetrator.
On February 19, 2022, journalist Franklin Doloquee was interviewing traders on Gompa main streets, in Ganta, Nimba County when he was brutally assaulted by superintendent Nelson Korquoi.
According to sources, the interview was on the poor sanitary conditions of Gompa main streets. The traders were expressing disappointment in the authorities and bemoaning the lack of responsiveness from the government although citizens have paid their levies to the city authorities. As Doloquee was conducting the live interviews, Nelson Korquoi appeared on the opposite side of the streets.
The journalist moved toward the superintendent to interview him on the complaints against his administration. However, Korquoi grabbed the journalist by the collar of his shirt and hit him in the face, and seized the journalist’s cell phone.
The journalist filed a complaint at the regional police station in Ganta shortly after the attack and went to a nearby Clinic in Ganta. He was advised to seek further treatment after he had received first aid treatment for the bruises and cuts on his face and hand.
The attack on Doloquee caused an outcry among the local journalists, who condemned it as “unacceptable and disgraceful” and urged the police to take action against the superintendent.
The MFWA strongly condemns the assault on the journalist and calls on Liberian authorities to hold Nelson Korquoi accountable. The journalist was only seeking to interview the public officer on legitimate concerns raised by taxpayers. He was only doing his work and should not have been assaulted.
We commend Doloquee for reporting the matter to the police and urge him and the Management of the media house he works for to follow-up on the matter until justice is done. We also call on the police to ensure thorough investigations leading to the relevant charges against Superintendent Korquoi.
