Court orders arrest of Liberia FA President

The President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Mustapha Raji, is facing possible arrest after the Paynesville City Magisterial Court issued a writ of arrest against him over allegations of simple assault and disorderly conduct.

The order, dated 26 January 2026, was issued by Stipendiary Magistrate William G. Saygah of the Paynesville City Magisterial Court, Montserrado County, following a criminal complaint filed by James K. Nimene, President of Jubilee Football Club, who is acting as a private prosecutor in the matter.

According to the court document, the Republic of Liberia, through the Ministry of Justice, has charged Mr Raji with violating Sections 14.21 and 17.3 of the New Penal Law of Liberia, relating to simple assault and disorderly conduct.

The alleged incident is said to have occurred on Saturday, 24 January 2026, during a meeting at the conference room of the Liberia Football Association, located in the Swankamore Community, Paynesville.

In his complaint, Mr Nimene told the court that a verbal exchange between himself and Mr Raji escalated, after which the LFA President allegedly struck him on the chest with malicious intent, forcibly pushed him from behind out of the conference room, and threatened to break his hand.

The acts, according to the complaint, were carried out without legal justification and amounted to criminal conduct under Liberian law.

The writ commands the Magistrate Police or their deputies to arrest Mr Raji and bring him before the Paynesville City Magisterial Court to answer to the charges.

Court records further show that the LFA President was expected to appear before the court but did not do so, prompting the issuance of the arrest order.

On Tuesday, sheriffs reportedly proceeded to the LFA headquarters to execute the writ but were unable to locate Mr Raji at the premises.

The case has attracted significant attention due to Mr Raji’s standing in African football. In addition to leading Liberia’s football federation, he is also a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee.

The dispute is understood to stem from long-running tensions between the LFA and Jubilee FC, particularly over player transfers and registration issues involving players from FC Fassell and Sameria FC.

Jubilee FC was reinstated into Liberia’s top division for the 2025/26 season following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in October 2025, a decision that followed months of legal and administrative wrangling centred on governance and transparency within Liberian football.

As of the time of publication, neither the Liberia Football Association nor Mr Raji has issued an official response to the allegations or the court order.

It also remains unclear when the LFA President will be brought before the court, as the matter remains under the jurisdiction of the Paynesville City Magisterial Court.

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