By: Joseph Nyei
Monrovia – A young Liberian businessman who built one of Bushrod Island’s most popular salons says false rumours, hate, and organised violence destroyed his livelihood and cost the lives of two of his relatives and employees.
Emmanuel Lama Toe, born on March 5, 1993, opened Lama’s Beauty Hub on March 16, 2012, while still in high school. The salon, located along Bushrod Island in Monrovia, quickly became well known for its management and customer service. Toe also ran a mini daily “Susu” savings club for petty traders and business owners to help them maximise profits and invest in their enterprises.
As the salon’s customer base grew, including some clients from Liberia’s LGBT community, Toe says rival salon owners began spreading false claims that he was gay and that this was why his business was thriving. He said the rumours clashed with his Christian faith and led to stigma, harassment, and threats.
On January 25, 2023, the situation turned violent. Toe recounted that while having lunch at a restaurant with a friend, Eddie Kamara, one of his competitors, identified as Mohammed Jallah, approached and began shouting anti-gay slurs at him before punching him in the face. “People came over and joined in saying I was gay, not knowing it was an organised plot,” Toe said. His friend fled the scene, and in the chaos, Toe was wounded and lost his wallet and phone. He was treated at Clara Town Medical Center and reported the matter to the police, but says no action was taken despite promises of a full investigation.
The rumours intensified after that incident, leading to verbal abuse, physical attacks, and threats. On March 24, 2023, Toe arrived at his salon with his fiancée to find it locked with a different padlock without any notice. When he and his staff attempted to open it, a crowd gathered, threw stones, and hurled insults. Toe said the mob fatally beat his cousin, Jeremiah Varney, who worked with him and had stepped in to defend him.
Despite repeated reports to authorities, he received no protection. Instead, Toe says police told him to “stop [his] alleged involvement in LGBT activities,” a statement he said shocked him. “I truly believe the police should be there for all persons, regardless of their sexuality, religion, or tradition,” he said.
Three months later, on June 14, 2023, at about 2:17 a.m., Lama’s Beauty Hub was set on fire. One of his employees, Fallah Johnson, who slept at the shop to prevent break-ins, died in the blaze. All the savings he had collected from petty traders and business owners through his Susu club were also destroyed. According to police and fire department reports, the fire was caused by a locally made petrol bomb. Toe said the loss of lives, his savings, and his business left him heartbroken and traumatised.
The violence did not stop there. On July 22, 2023, at about 10:40 p.m., Toe says he was kidnapped while traveling home from central Monrovia. Unknown men forced him into a black car, seized his phone, wallet, and documents, and took him to an undisclosed location where he was beaten and tied up for two days without food or water. His family reported his disappearance to police but were told, he claims, that because of his alleged association with LGBT people, the authorities could do little. On July 24, 2023, he was found along the Robertsfield Highway and taken to ELWA Hospital by two motorbike riders.
After his discharge, Toe and his family fled Monrovia for a small village in Sinoe County, saying the capital was no longer safe for them. “I have lost everything I worked for in my own country,” he said. “I have lost family members, employees, my savings, my business, and my safety, and there has been no justice.”
His story highlights Liberia’s ongoing struggle with mob violence, stigma, and the failure of law enforcement to protect citizens accused—rightly or wrongly—of supporting unpopular causes.
