By TALLA AGHA CHRISTOPHER
A man suspected to be homosexual, has been arrested in Mbalmayo, Centre Region of Cameroon, for seducing other men. The about 25 -year- old, fair in complexion and medium height, with curly hairman, according to state radio, CRTV, looked well kempt.
The man whose name CRTV quoted as Amougou, is said to have boarded a taxi dressed like a woman. On the way, he began to seduce the taxi driver and eventually made advances to him. The taxi driver who became interested scheduled an appointment, to meet ‘her’ the following day. The next day the taxi driver discovered that he was indeed a man. The taxi driver drove him directly to the police station where he was taken into custody. The alleged homosexual, Amougou was presented to the public prosecutor and placed in custody at the Mbalmayo prison.
It would be noted that homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon and culprits can be punished with jail terms ranging from six months to five years with a fine from 20000 to 200000 francs FCFA, according to section 347 of the Penal Code. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 28 people in Cameroon have been charged, under the country’s anti-gay laws in the past three years – more than any other African Nation. But homosexual activities are on the rise in the country and police and gendarmes have stepped up efforts to clampdown on this.
This was the case in May 2005 when 11 men were arrested at a night club in Yaoundé on suspicion of sodomy and the government threatened to conduct medical examinations to ‘prove’ their homosexual activity. Many other alleged homosexuals have been arrested and detained under section 347 of the Penal Code.
One of these Jean Claude Roger Mbede was arrested by security forces for sending love SMS messages to male acquaintances and sentence to three years imprisonment at the Kondengui Central Prison. The sentence was protested by international Human Rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the latter of which named him a prisoner of conscience. Mbede later died in prison. He had not received medical treatment for a month before the activists said.
In November 2011, a Cameroonian court convicted two young men, Jonas Kimie and Frank Ndome, who had been arrested for homosexuality outside a nightclub in Yaoundé based solely on their appearance and behaviour to five years imprisonment.
In July 2013, a prominent Cameroonian gay rights activist and Journalist, Eric Lembembe, was found murdered in his house in Yaoundé. Lembembe’s neck and feet appeared to have been broken and his face, hands and feet burnt with an iron, Human Rights Watch had said.
Another Cameroonian allegedly involved in homosexual acts and is currently under security operatives searchlight since January 2017, is 40-year -old Ngoumbe Mama Njoya and has then been declared wanted by the regime.
It should be noted that homosexuality in Cameroon is criminalised with heavy jail sentences and fines on offenders if found guilty by the law courts.
THE SUN gathered that, the homosexual acts of Ngoumbe Mama Njoya’s who was born in Kumba, Meme Division, South West Region dates back in 2013 when he was caught in the act of homosexuality with 27-year-old Hamidou Yusuf in Buea.
This forced Ngoumbe Mama to relocate to Kumba same day but will be arrested few days later in Kumba by the police on the strength of a complaint lodged by one PatouSalamatou.
Family sources disclosed that Ngoumbe Mama Njoya after being granted bail left for Qatar.
In 2015, Ngoumbe Mama’s return to Cameroon since the criminal complaint against him was dropped thanks to serious intervention from their family Lawyer.
In 2015 while in Cameroon for the feast of Ramadan hismother advised him it was time to settle in matrimony reasons why Ngoumbe Mama’s mother introduced him a fiancé.
THE SUN gathered that when Ngoumbe Mama returned to Qatar, his fiancée´ was hinted on Ngoumbe Mama’s homosexual activities. With this strange development she immediately dropped all marital plans with Ngoumbe and went her way.
Ngoumbe Mama Njoya, the hungry thirsty homosexual while in Cameroon for holidays in 2016 was again caught in the act of homosexuality with 32- year- old Nasiru Ahmed and he managed to escaped to an unknown destination as pressure was been mounted the Muslim community in Kumba to eliminate him for causing shame to the entire Muslim community and the government of Cameroon.
All these have thus caused the government of Cameroon to intensify the crackdown on homosexuals in Cameroon.
Ngoumbe Mama’s case is even more complicated as numerous search and arrest warrants are making rounds declaring him wanted for homosexual acts.
Barrister Alice Nkom who has been fighting for rights of homosexuals said ’I accuse the state. If there had not been criminalization of homosexuality, many homosexuals would not have gone to prison and their lives would not be over. Homosexuals lives are finish as soon as they are imprisoned”.
It should be recalled that the office of a Human Rights activist who fights for the rights of homosexuals Barrister Alice Nkom, has also been ransacked by unknown assailants. Most Homosexuals believe their lives are constantly in danger as they continuously being persecuted not only by security operatives but also by the public.
Barrister Atoh Walters Tchemi, a Kumba based Legal Practitioner and head of the Time Law Firm, a gay rights activist, was recently attacked, molested and tortured by unknown individuals, for defending a homosexual Fonya Cornelius whounfortunately was jailed by the Limbe Court of First Instance.