By DANIELA NEBA NGUM
The Head Teacher of Government School, GS Etam I, Patrick Ejolle was kidnapped and later killed during the early hours of Wednesday, February 21 by unidentified gunmen in Etam, Kupe Muaneguba Division, Southwest Region.
Mr. Ejolle was said to have been attacked and bundled of a motorbike he boarded with another individual on their way to Ebunji for a meeting. He was later dragged into the bush and shot.
According to sources close to the family Mr. Ejolle and his colleagues have been receiving threat messages from unknown individuals calling on them to stop coming to school.
They recounted instances where teachers were chased out of the school compound with machetes for defying orders from unknown individuals.
The Sun gathered that these individuals had sent information to Mr. Ejolle’s relatives to inform him of their plans to kill him if he is ever seen in Etam.
Family sources equally say the youngest child of the family dreamt about the death of his father and warned him not to push through with his journey. The wife on the other hand pleaded with him to use the train if he must go.
He was reported to have called other colleagues to notify them that he will not be coming to the meeting again later decided otherwise and took the journey.
The Sun learnt that while at the Three Corners Park in Kumba, some bike riders who knew him warned him not to continue with the journey but he decided to ignore their warning and pushed through with the journey to Ebonji.
Reports hold that he had already passed through Etam I and II before he was attacked by the gunmen.
His wife was then alerted through a telephone call that a Head Teacher has been kidnapped and killed in Etam. Still in the state of shock, she rushed to nearby Teke to verify if the deceased was her husband.
Family members then informed the DO for Tombel Subdivision of the demise of their father, the DO promised to send the military to recover the corpse. They said the military refused to assist them for fear of the unknown.
As night approached the gunmen decided to cut some parts of his body with machetes and then set the body on fire.
Family members arrived the scene at night put off the fire and carried what remained of Mr. Ejolle’s body.
The Tombel mortuary refused to keep the corpse due to the it’s bad state.
He finally was laid to rest on Thursday, February 22 at Barombi Kang, Kumba lll Subdivision.
It should be noted that no government official was present at his funeral.
Late Patrick Ejolle leaves behind a wife, six children, family members and loved ones to mourn him.
The assassination of Mr. Ejolle comes two days after the Etam I Chief’s palace was set at blaze and weeks after GS Etam I was razed to ashes.