By Ben T.C. Brooks
River Gee County – July 9, 2025 – A sorrowful event unfolded on July 8, 2025, in Joequiken, where a 32-year-old man identified as Fred Moses, known locally as “KOLOKOLO,” tragically died after falling into a water-filled abandoned gold pit.
The accident occurred in Electoral District 2 of Gbeapo Joequiken, situated south of River Gee County, about 30 kilometers from the county seat, Fish-Town, which is renowned for its gold mining activities.
Moses, who hailed from Maryland County, had been working as a gold digger under the guidance of Mohammed Jalloh, a well-known businessman in the area of perceived Fulani descent.
Family members shared that Moses had been involved in gold mining for over four years and had developed a strong working relationship with Jalloh.
Moses Youty, a relative who introduced Fred to the mining field along with Amos T. Sunday, mentioned that Fred had epilepsy but consistently followed his prescribed treatment regimen.
Jalloh further noted that Fred was a dedicated and hardworking leader among the miners he supervised, highlighting his strong work ethic.
Witnesses at the mining site reported that Fred had gone to wash himself near the abandoned gold pit when he unfortunately experienced a seizure, leading to his accidental fall into the pit. Sadly, his death went unnoticed at the time.
In light of the incident, County Coroner Derrick Keah, along with officers from the Liberia National Police in the Nyaniwilken administrative district, visited the site.
The Coroner’s team set up a jury of fifteen members to investigate the circumstances surrounding Fred Moses’s death. Upon their investigation, the jury concluded that there were no indications of foul play on his body.
