Broadcast Liberian journalist Alex Yormie of Radio Lar-Wehyi in Tapitta, Nimba County has been kidnapped and taken to unknown location, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is saddened to announce, calling for his unconditional release without molestation.
The PUL received news of his kidnapping early on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, from Liberian journalist Christopher Fahn, Chief Executive Officer of Nimba Online TV.
Men believed to be members of the Poro Society in Nimba County are behind the kidnapping of journalist Alex Yormie, which occurred on the evening of June 30, 2025, shortly after he broadcast a ‘directive’ from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, suspending all activities related to the Poro and Sande Societies.
The Poro Society men who kidnapped journalist Alex Yormie are said to have acted on the instructions of Mr. Melvin Duo, General Culture Coordinator of Nimba County.
In a message to the PUL, journalist Fahn informed that,
“… on the evening of June 30, 2025, journalist Yormie was forcibly arrested by Mr. Melvin Doe and taken to an undisclosed location where he was subjected to physical violence. This action was reportedly carried out under the pretext that journalist Yormie had violated the traditions of the Poro Society by broadcasting sensitive information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
In response, the General Culture Coordinator of Lower Nimba County, Melvin Duo, confirmed the abduction of journalist Alex Yormie by men who are members of the Nimba County Poro Society.
Mr Duo told the PUL that journalist Yormie was taken away because he publicly discussed on radio the Poro Society and its Headmaster, which he claims is forbidden in the local Nimba culture.
Duo said journalist Yormie was taken to the headquarters of the local Poro Society for questioning and his family and town people from Gblah Township in Zor-geh have been invited to form part of a hearing, where the journalist will be questioned whether he is a member of the Poro Society, and if so, why he chose to discuss the ‘secret society’ on radio.
If the journalist is not a member of the Poro Society, Duo said, the family and traditional town people of journalist Yormie will be informed what their son has done to the culture of Nimba.
Duo rejected claims that the abducted journalist was physically assaulted, insisting also that the journalist is not under ‘initiation’ into the Poro Society, but there are concerns about his broadcast.
The PUL says while it understands the debates about the secrecy of the Poro Society, it is important to unconditionally release journalist Yormie as it is a violation of press freedom and freedom of expression for a journalist to be abducted and held against his will and without due process.
Prior to his kidnap, journalist Alex Yormie on Monday, June 30, 2025, sought the advice of the PUL whether to broadcast the suspension of Poro and Sande activities by the Government, a question the PUL answered affirmatively, informing the journalist to also get reactions from people engage in the practice of Poro and Sande Societies.
It is unfortunate that the journalist now finds himself in arbitrary detention for reporting on government policy, which Mr. Melvin Duo as General Culture Coordinator of Nimba is aware of as a servant of the Government.
Meanwhile, Mr. Duo says based on the interventions of the PUL, journalist Alex Yormie will be released to his family and town people today.
The PUL is actively monitoring the situation and will from time-to-time release updates.
