Five of the six kidnapped divisional delegates who were serving in Ndian division in the troubled South West region have remained in abduction close to five months after being whisked to the unknown by Ambazonia separatist fighters. The delegates were kidnapped while on state assignment. One of them later died in captivity.
Kidnapped delegates all feared killed by abductors
The remaining five delegates have so far spent 127 days and still counting in the hands of their abductors with no public declarations made by government on their fate or steps to secure their release. Cameroonians have remained worried as to why Yaounde has maintained provocative silence over the fate of the officials. This is so, as state personnel assigned to the restive regions are still being threatened to remain at their duty posts despite the worsening conflict. Government’s maintenance of sealed lips on issue, observers have said, is record-breaking as far as the Anglophone crisis is concerned. The fate of the delegates, observers added, is the highest situation that has seen government silent on the crisis. “It is still shocking that the Minister of Communication has not granted a single press conference or made a press statement on the situation…even concerned ministries have not openly condemned or reassured the population of moves to get the kidnapped delegates releases,” a concerned South West inhabitant stated.
Growing fears delegates already murdered
The silence of government and even local administrative authorities in the region has left many with growing fears that the delegates have already been murdered by their abductors. Many are afraid government is playing over time to get people forget about the delegates before coming out to admit if they are still alive or dead.
“I believe the delegates have been killed. If you remember when the Divisional Officer of Batibo was kidnapped, government did not mention his whereabouts for months,” an observer said.
Another worried citizen said: “We have already concluded that the delegates are dead…whatever be the case, it is time for government to inform the family members…why leave the families of the abducted delegates in suspense in such a situation?,” a worried Yaounde resident rhetorically questioned.
Family members nervous
Family members of Mambe Elvis Ebaku, Delegate of State Property, Land Tenure and Surveys; Felicia Ndong of Housing and Urban Development; Elad Emmanuel of Water and Energy Resources; Mbida Armand Christian of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft; Agbor Stephen Nyenty, Divisional Chief of Service for Surveys, who are still in the unknown, have remained nervous. The relatives are hoping to hear something good from government in relation to their family members who were kidnapped.
Brutal killing of one delegate worsens fears
Fears over the killing of the aforementioned officials have increased, especially as one of them, Mania Johnson, of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, was brutally murdered Friday June 18, 2021, three days after their kidnap. He body was dumped by the road.
The corpse was transported and deposited at the Limbe regional hospital mortuary. Mania, a son of Mbu Bakundu, a village in Meme Division, was later buried by family members.
Flashback on the incident
The six delegates were kidnapped June 15 by gunmen in Masore-Balue in Ekondo-Titi subdivision. The then Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Ndian, Forwang Lawrence, had said the kidnapp was carried out by “secessionist terrorists". He revealed that the officials were on mission to demarcate land for an electricity supply plant project in the area. The SDO said plans were made to secure their release. Such plans have not come to fruition close to five months after.
Huge ransom reportedly demanded
The kidnap is said to have been carried out by a self-styled separatist commander, “General” 10 Kobo, and his fighters. The separatist kingpin had, in an audio message that went viral on social media, threatened to use the delegates to set an example on government. ‘General’ 10 Kobo did not explain what he meant by “set an example”. However, he is said to have made huge financial demands as ransom.
The MINEPAT delegate was killed days after social media reports indicated that the kidnappers had demanded payment one billion FCFA ransom before freeing the delegates. The self-proclaimed separatist commander, in the audio, paid allegiance to separatist leaders hiding in the diaspora including Ambazonia Interim President, Sako Ikome, and vowed he won’t be bribed to let go the kidnapped officials if nothing is done to yield to their demands.
Diaspora Ambazonia leaders claim responsibility
Meanwhile, US-based Secretary of State for Communication for the Interim Government of Ambazonia, Chris Anu, in an interview with Voice of America, VOA, Friday June 18, 2021, confirmed that their forces were responsibility for the kidnap and the subsequent killing of one. “…our fighters in Ndian are now confirming that they have these La Republic du Cameroun Delegates in custody. They were not abducted but arrested because they are in Ambazonian territory and they were trespassing on the land,” Anu confirmed in the VOA interview.
“Since 2016, La Republic du Cameroun colonial government authorities no longer have any authority within our Ambazonian territory…We have them in custody to interview and our forces on ground zero will determine exactly what happens to them…,”Anu added.
Mundemnba mayor worries about security situation
The first deputy mayor of Mundemba Council, Sake Besinga, in an outing on Equinoxe Television early in August, said the abduction had made the security situation not to be under control.
“Honestly speaking, the security situation is not the best,” stated the mayor who added “government is trying to calm down the environment”.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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