By Ayuketang Blessing
The night remains long for most Cameroonian youths in the country’s crisis plagued North West and South West regions as the Anglophone crisis continues, for, it has become the order of the day to be condemned while only being a suspect.
The story at the Limbe Court of First Instance, Monday, March 2, 2020, says it all. Robert Molokwa, a hitherto Limbe city dweller, has been handed a heavy jail term, after he was caught trying to escape from prison.
Molokwa, it would be recalled had been on the run alongside his companion, Pani Lavoisire Ekema Muambo, both of whom were found guilty on four charges, following the famous October 1, 2017 demonstrations. After many months at large, Molokwa was apprehended and locked up at the Buea Central Prison, while his companion, Ekema remains on the run.
The two “scapegoats” were found guilty by the Limbe Court of First Instance a few months ago, for unlawful public meeting, riot, escape and propagation of false information, following their participation in the 2017 demonstration, geared towards fighting for the rights of Anglophones in the Republic of Cameroon.
Following reports, The SUN gathered that a certain Njie Stanley Etoke who stood as witness against Ekema Muambo and Robert Molokwa, held them responsible for causing him bodily injuries and damaging his products while they engaged the October 1 protest. Njie further claimed FCFA eight (8) million for the loss and injuries he said he suffered.
Following Njie’s claims, the accused; Ekema Muambo and Robert Molokwa were arrested and detained at the police station where they spent four days and later reportedly escaped to an unknown destination.
Finding themselves in a difficult situation, both Molokwa and Ekema went underground for many months, as the search to fish them out by the police continued in the nooks and crannies of the South West region.
In abstentia, they were found guilty by the Limbe Court of First Instance on all four charges, and said to suffer at least seven years imprisonment with fines of at least FCFA 2 million.
It would take a while for Molokwa to be apprehended and detained, while the search for Ekema continued. Recently, as Molokwa tried to escape from custody, he was caught and his jail sentence increased. However, Pani Lavoisire Ekema Muambo, his companion who is still at large, has been declared WANTED by the state of Cameroon. No one is certain what will become of Ekema when he is fished out from his hideout.