By Nadia Ntiamoah
Liberian football has been thrown into fresh controversy after the Paynesville City Magisterial Court ordered the arrest of the President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Mustapha Raji, over allegations of simple assault and disorderly conduct.
The development has intensified scrutiny on football governance in the country, coming at a time when tensions between the federation and certain clubs remain unresolved.
The writ of arrest, dated 26 January 2026, was issued by Stipendiary Magistrate William G. Saygah of the Paynesville City Magisterial Court in Montserrado County.
The order follows 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 formally charged Raji with violating Sections 14.21 and 17.3 of Liberia’s New Penal Law.
These provisions relate to simple assault and disorderly conduct, offences that carry criminal consequences under Liberian law.
The alleged incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, 24 January 2026, during a meeting held in the conference room of the Liberia Football Association headquarters in the Swankamore Community of Paynesville.
In his complaint, Nimene told the court that what began as a verbal exchange between himself and Raji escalated into a physical confrontation.
He alleged that the LFA President struck him on the chest with malicious intent, forcibly pushed him from behind out of the conference room, and further threatened to break his hand.
Nimene argued that the actions were carried out without legal justification and amounted to criminal conduct under Liberian law.
The writ issued by the court instructs the Magistrate Police or their deputies to arrest Raji and bring him before the Paynesville City Magisterial Court to answer to the charges leveled against him.
Court records indicate that Raji was expected to appear before the court but failed to do so, prompting the issuance of the arrest order.
On Tuesday, sheriffs reportedly visited the LFA headquarters to execute the writ but were unable to locate him on the premises.
The case has attracted widespread attention not only because of Raji’s role as head of Liberia’s football governing body, but also due to his standing on the continental stage.
He is a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee, placing him among Africa’s key football decision-makers.
Observers note that the dispute may be connected to long-running tensions between the Liberia Football Association and Jubilee FC, particularly over player transfers and registration issues involving players linked to FC Fassell and Sameria FC.
Jubilee FC’s relationship with the federation has been strained in recent years.
The club was reinstated into Liberia’s top division for the 2025/26 season after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in October 2025.
