Amardu Varfee Sirleaf, who was forcibly taken from his home in the Stephen Tolbert Estate in Gardnersville by unknown armed men in 1985.
Monrovia – For more than 41 years, the Sirleaf family has lived with pain and uncertainty, never knowing the actual killer or killers of their father, Amardu Varfee Sirleaf, who was forcibly taken from his home in the Stephen Tolbert Estate in Gardnersville by unknown armed men in 1985.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The youngest of the Sirleaf children, Avennette Sirleaf, popularly known as Queen V, a Liberian musician, was only three years old when her father was taken away. She sat with her mother and two siblings for days, weeks and years waiting for him to return—but he never did.
Queen V grew up without the fatherly love many children in her community experienced. Her father was reportedly killed, but the whereabouts of his remains have never been disclosed.
Now, a new development has reopened the family’s long-standing wounds.
An investigation launched by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) into the mysterious death of Toni Jackson, the wife of Liberian economist Samuel Jackson, has unexpectedly brought new attention to the decades-old case.
Armed police officers over the weekend barricaded Jackson’s residence as part of the investigation into the death of his wife, a South African national. According to reports, Toni Jackson was found lying in a pool of blood in the couple’s bedroom and was later rushed to St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Congo Town, outside Monrovia, where she was pronounced dead.
Police have since declared Jackson a suspect in the case.
Confession on Live Video
The investigation into Toni Jackson’s death triggered a shocking moment when Samuel Jackson, during a live Facebook broadcast as police surrounded his home in Sinkor, made a startling statement.
While confronting officers at the scene, Jackson pointed to Aven Sirleaf Jr., one of the police officers present, and the son of the late Amardu Varfee Sirleaf.
“A 73-year-old man, you bring a whole f… battalion here. These are gestapos here to harass me. This other one pa… (pointing to AV Sirleaf Jr.), we killed his f…king pa during the war. This piece of sh… he’s a Sirleaf here,” Jackson said in the video.
The remark quickly circulated widely on social media and reignited long-simmering emotions about unresolved killings and disappearances during Liberia’s civil conflict.
“Best Revelation After 41 Years”
Queen V also recalled the emotional toll her father’s disappearance had on her mother, Mildred Bernard Sirleaf, who she said never recovered from the loss.
For Queen V, Jackson’s statement was both shocking and revealing.
“Your confession to killing my father on your Facebook Live is the best thing that happened after 41 years,” she wrote on social media.
A Mother’s Pain
Queen V also recalled the emotional toll her father’s disappearance had on her mother, Mildred Bernard Sirleaf, who she said never recovered from the loss.
“You made her sit on the ground when she went to look for him after you killed him. You gave her his watch, wallet and wedding ring. She died of a broken heart in 2006,” she wrote.
According to Queen V, her mother raised three children alone while working at the National Bank of Liberia, later the Central Bank of Liberia.
“Tears were always in her eyes, never getting closure. No rest for the wicked,” she added.
She also recounted that Jackson had greeted her warmly whenever she visited his children at their home in the past, often hugging her despite allegedly being involved in her father’s death.
Konneh Reacts
Jackson’s statement also revived painful memories for many Liberians whose relatives disappeared during the civil war.
“I still grapple with the unanswered question of who murdered my father, three brothers, my favorite uncle, his two wives, and his eldest son in 1990 during the savage rampage of NPFL rebels across our homeland,” said Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh.
He praised AV Sirleaf Jr. as a calm and professional officer who maintained composure despite the shocking remarks directed at him.
He said the viral video in which Jackson admitted that “we killed” Sirleaf Sr. filled him with sorrow and highlighted the unresolved tragedy of Liberian lives lost at the hands of fellow Liberians since 1980.
“As a country, it feels like looking at a version of ourselves that no longer exists. Forty years have gone by, yet perpetrators and victims live side by side pretending nothing happened and calling it peace. There is a quiet sadness in that,” Senator Konneh stated.
He praised AV Sirleaf Jr. as a calm and professional officer who maintained composure despite the shocking remarks directed at him.
Konneh stressed that Liberia needs courageous leadership capable of delivering justice for victims of the country’s violent past.
“It is time to cleanse Liberia of the bloodshed and rediscover our true destiny,” he said.
Calls for Investigation
Meanwhile, there are growing calls for authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of Aven Sirleaf Sr.
“As we follow the police investigation into his wife’s death in which he has been named a suspect and detained, it is also very important that an investigation is launched into the open confession of Mr. Jackson admitting to ‘them’ killing Mr. Sirleaf,” said Counselor Moriah Yeakula.
She said the Sirleaf family deserves to know how and where their relative was killed and buried.
Shock From Family Friends
Wadei Powell, the goddaughter of the late Sirleaf Sr., also expressed shock at Jackson’s comments.
“When I heard Sam confess these words today, I was shocked. Who confesses to a murder like that, especially after denying involvement for so many years?” she said.
Powell recalled that Sirleaf Sr. was a close friend of her parents and that the families often spent time together.
“One day he was just gone. Days of not knowing turned into weeks, months and years. Hearing this from Sam today shook me to my core,” she said.
She described the revelation as a painful betrayal, noting that Jackson had maintained close relations with her family for years.
“This is a confession to participation in a murder. Sam must answer for this and name the others who made up the ‘we’,” Powell added.
Historical Context
Samuel Jackson began his public service career in 1978 when he was recruited into government as Deputy Comptroller for Cash and Banking Relations at the Ministry of Finance under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who at the time served as Deputy Finance Minister for Fiscal Affairs.
Following the 1980 coup that brought Samuel Doe and the People’s Redemption Council to power, Jackson was appointed Deputy Minister of Commerce, Industry and Transportation, serving for about 11 months before a government reshuffle.
After the failed coup attempt by former military leader Thomas Quiwonkpa in November 1985, the Doe administration carried out harsh reprisals against suspected opponents, particularly in Nimba County and among individuals believed to be sympathizers of Quiwonkpa.
During that period, several civilians—including Aven Sirleaf Sr.—were reportedly taken from their homes, detained and killed.
Jackson’s recent remarks appear to contradict his previous denials of involvement in identifying individuals for arrest or advising authorities on extrajudicial killings during that era.
