By Awambeng Fuh
A dramatic legal storm has erupted in Liberian football after a magistrate’s court issued an arrest warrant for Mustapha Raji, President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) and member of the CAF Executive Committee, over allegations of assault.
The warrant follows a complaint lodged by James Nimene, chairman of Jubilee FC, who claims he was physically attacked by Raji during a heated meeting at the LFA headquarters on January 24. According to the complaint, what began as a verbal exchange quickly escalated, with Nimene alleging he was struck and forcibly removed from the meeting room.
Magistrate William G. Saygah authorized the arrest order after reviewing the petition, instructing law enforcement officers to bring the football administrator in for questioning. However, when officers moved to execute the order at the federation’s Swankamore compound earlier this week, Raji was nowhere to be found — despite his official vehicle still being parked at the premises.
His sudden absence has fueled speculation across local football circles, with suggestions that the LFA boss may have been tipped off ahead of the operation. As of now, neither Raji nor the Liberia Football Association has issued an official statement addressing the allegations or his whereabouts.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of strained relations between the LFA and Jubilee FC, a club that was only recently reinstated into the top flight following a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling linked to administrative and governance disputes.
With Raji also serving on CAF’s Executive Committee, the matter is expected to draw attention beyond Liberia, potentially placing African football governance under renewed scrutiny. Stakeholders now await the next move from authorities as the controversy continues to cast a shadow over the country’s football leadership.
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