Last Updated on April 4, 2025 by The Liberian Investigator
MONROVIA – Nancy B. Doe is threatening to take Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue to court, accusing him of impersonating her family and trying to hijack the reburial of her late husband, slain President Samuel K. Doe, for political gain.
In a press statement in possession of The Liberian Investigator, Madam Doe said Senator Pennue’s alleged plan to stage a traditional military memorial service in honor of her late husband is “ill-thought and ill-advised.” She warned the Grand Gedeh County lawmaker to desist from presenting himself as the authorized head or spokesperson for the Doe family.
“It has come to our attention that a supposed Military Traditional Memorial Service has been organized by Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue—a man who has continuously sought to advance his own sinister agenda under the guise of honoring Liberia’s fallen leader, the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe, Sr. We wish to make it abundantly and categorically clear that no individual or group of individuals, especially led by Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, has the right to interfere with my husband’s remains without the express approval and involvement of myself and our appointed spiritual leader,” the statement, signed by Madam Doe, read.
The former First Lady acknowledged that while Pennue is a nephew of the Doe family—being the son of the late president’s sister—he is not authorized to act as head of the family, particularly in matters as sensitive as the reburial.
Over the years, Madam Doe and Senator Pennue have consistently disagreed on family issues. She has accused him of wrongfully appropriating money and property belonging to the late president, even as she and her children remain alive and mentally sound to oversee the estate of the deceased.
President Doe was tortured and brutally killed in 1990 under the command of Prince Johnson, who died in November 2024 after a prolonged illness.
Johnson, often referred to as PYJ, went on to become Liberia’s longest-serving senator. He defended his role in Doe’s death as an act of retribution, citing Doe’s alleged mass killings in Nimba County. He claimed his actions were intended to liberate his people and end anarchy in Liberia.
Madam Doe stated that while she supports the reburial plan for her husband, the process must be treated with respect and free from political interference, particularly from Senator Pennue.
“The Doe family—consisting of myself, our children, and our direct bloodline—has been working closely with His Excellency President Joseph Boakai’s government to ensure that my husband receives a dignified and rightful reburial. A reburial date will be announced in due course by the appropriate authorities, and no unauthorized actions by Zoe Emmanuel Pennue will be tolerated,” Madam Doe emphasized.
She accused Pennue of years of harassment and maintained that he should play no role in the reburial process.
“It is appalling that Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, a man who has relentlessly tormented my children and me, is now inserting himself into this solemn matter. This is the same individual who has openly declared over the years: ‘That’s why Samuel doesn’t have a grave, and I will make sure in my capacity as a lawmaker and senior government official that he will never have a grave,’” she alleged.
According to Madam Doe, such statements and others illustrate Pennue’s malicious intent. She insisted that his involvement in the reburial is “utterly unacceptable.”
She warned Pennue to refrain from any leadership role in the process and threatened legal action should he fail to comply.
“The Doe family stands firm in ensuring that my husband receives the honorable resting place he deserves, free from interference and spiritual manipulation,” she concluded.
Senator Zoe Pennue’s Response
When contacted via telephone for his reaction, Senator Pennue dismissed Madam Doe’s claims.
“My man, I am not prepared to talk when it is about Nancy Doe. When you have any national issue for us to talk about, you can call me—but not about her and her family. My family says I should not talk,” Pennue said, ending the call.
PYJ, Killer of Doe, Buried Like a King
There were mixed reactions when Prince Johnson died on November 29, with news of his passing quickly spreading across Liberia via social media.
In Red Light, a major commercial hub in Paynesville, people were seen dancing and celebrating Johnson’s death. Many said they were thankful that the man who ordered the killings of so many had finally met his end.
Social media exploded with controversy as debates flared between Johnson’s supporters—who viewed him as a hero—and those who condemned him.
After nearly two months in a Monrovia funeral parlor, Johnson’s body was taken to Nimba County in January under tight government security. A series of ceremonies—mostly traditional—were held to honor the man regarded as a kingmaker in Liberia’s post-war political landscape.
Though Johnson once extended an “olive branch” to the Doe family, he never expressed remorse for killing Doe—something that led many to believe the proposed War and Economic Crimes Court was aimed at him. He used politics to elevate himself, often guiding the people of Nimba to vote for whichever presidential candidate he endorsed.
To some, his remains should have been discarded and denied the state-sponsored, high-profile burial he received. Others, however, believed he earned the honors accorded to him—even in death.
Johnson never accounted for Doe’s mutilated body. To this day, no known gravesite exists where Liberians can pay homage to the slain president on Decoration Day—a national holiday set aside to honor the dead.
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