Liberia: Court-Ordered Demolition Leaves Johnsonville Families Homeless

What the report says

Families in Johnsonville Township, Montserrado County, were left homeless after a court-ordered demolition on disputed land Saturday, according to The Liberian Investigator as republished by AllAfrica. The operation was carried out by the Montserrado County Sheriff’s Office under a writ of possession issued by the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court, and linked to a land dispute between two intestate estates: the estate of Konhay Comman and the estate of the late Fahn Kai Korroh.

The article says the writ followed earlier court rulings and a Supreme Court mandate issued in May 2026. It also says the disputed parcel is described in court papers as 90 acres, while residents estimated the demolition affected about 45 acres. Police and court sheriffs were present as workers and a bulldozer removed structures and household items from the site along Tubman Avenue.

Affected residents told the outlet they had lived on the land for years, said they bought plots before building, and questioned whether the boundaries had been properly surveyed and whether they received enough notice. Some said their homes were destroyed after very short notice. One representative linked to the family claiming ownership said occupants who had bought land from the other side could discuss staying on the property, although no terms were disclosed.

The case highlights a wider problem in Liberia involving overlapping land claims, multiple sales, and long-running court disputes. In Montserrado County, such conflicts have become more common as residential areas expand, and land administration reforms have been discussed as a way to reduce future disputes.