By Ben TC Brooks
A Monrovia City Council Member has weighed in on a heated national debate following the controversial arrest of a Fulani woman, urging the public not to use religion or gender to justify what she described as clearly unlawful conduct.
Fatima Bintu Sirleaf, a Muslim woman and member of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) City Council, issued a strong statement Thursday regarding the case of Zainab Bah, who was filmed being arrested by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and agent of the anti-power theft task force.
“I am a woman, and a Muslim. In Islam, women are modest. She was disrespectful to his uniform, assaulted him, and resisted arrest. She is wrong, wrong, wrong,” Sirleaf said. “Let’s stop using the religion and gender card to justify bad, unlawful behavior. Sad.”
Bah, who is reportedly a member of the Fula ethnic group, was allegedly targeted during a power theft crackdown. According to authorities, she resisted arrest, threw a stool, and attempted to pour hot soup on one of the officers.
However, footage circulating on social media has sparked widespread condemnation, as it shows Bah visibly distressed, holding a baby, being manhandled, stripped of her hijab, and dragged by uniformed officers.
In the video, an agent of the anti-power theft unit and a police officer are seen confronting Bah, accusing her of illegally connecting to the national power grid. The situation escalated quickly, with Bah reacting violently during the confrontation.
The case has ignited a firestorm on social media, with some defending Bah’s actions as an emotional response to perceived harassment, while others have decried her behavior as unlawful and dangerous.
Council Member Sirleaf’s remarks appear to challenge the growing narrative that Bah was victimized purely on the basis of her religion and ethnicity, emphasizing that accountability must not be blurred by identity politics.
As investigations continue, national discourse around the incident highlights broader tensions around law enforcement practices, the treatment of minority communities, and the boundaries of lawful resistance.
Human rights advocates are calling for an independent review of the officers’ conduct during the arrest.
