The Liberian government has released a political activist and critic of President George Weah who was detained on Wednesday for posting an inflammatory statement on Facebook.

"We don’t need free bags of rice. I say we the poor in Monrovia need AK-47s so that our leaders can take us seriously," Menipakei Dumoe had written in the post.

He is fiercely critical of the government’s proposed coronavirus feeding programme.

Police handcuffed Mr. Dumoe after the Facebook post was discovered, then forcibly took him to his house for a security search for possible arms but did not find any.

Mr Dumoe had previously said in radio interviews that his Facebook comments were "metaphorical".

The outspoken activist belongs to Liberia's opposition Liberty party.

He is also acting head of the large campaign group The Council of Patriots, which has organized two mass protests in the last year against Mr Weah’s handling of the economy.

Joint security teams will continue to investigate Mr Dumoe "which includes examination of materials from Domoe's house", said Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean, who ordered the activist's release on Thursday.