By Talla Agha Christopher
As tensions in the North West and South West Regions rage unabated, government has embarked on a protracted mission to fish out sympathisers and activists backing the now termed; Anglophone Crisis.
Confronted with escalating tempers, a total breakdown of law and order, and worsening socio-political conditions, government has now taken to trail those considered as masterminds of the unrest. This move represents one in a series of measures that has been employed by the administration to calm the troubled waters amid deteriorating security conditions and other concerns.
This hunt is in a bid to bring activists before the military tribunal for adjudication, as was the case with the likes of Mancho Bibixy, Tsi Conrad, and Penn Terence, who, upon their arrest in January 2017, subsequently stood trial before the military tribunal to bear the brunt of a failed system. They were each slammed maximum jail sentence to served at the Kondengui maximum security prison.
Leaders of the virtual state of Ambazonia(otherwise known as Southern Cameroons) ; Seseku AyukTabe, Tassang Wilfred, Barrister Eyambe , Nfor Ngala Nfor and others, were then extradited from Nigeria and placed incommunicado for close to a year. They are presently face charges of terrorism, secession, propagation of false news, insurrection, non possession of National IdentityCard and rebellion against the state in an ongoing trial before the military tribunal.
The clamour for equality and justice that began in 2016, has now degenerated into widespread disputes, degradation of law and order and a genuine fear of genocide, as hundreds of lives succumb to the on going crisis in the two English speaking regions.
Recent statistics by civil society organizations reflect the extent of the damage with horrific numbers. The death toll is on a perpetual rise while there are claims that about 120 villages have been burnt down in the two regions, andsome 11.000 people remain internally displaced. A majority of whom are taking refuge in the bushes and forests. This is in addition to the more than 45.000 English speaking Cameroonians that have assumed the status of refugees in Nigeria.
Several activists both home and abroad, have been earmarked for arrest with regional, national and international warrants issued against them. Photos declaring them ‘Wanted’ have been placed with security forces. This includes but is not restricted to activists like; Nnoko Julius Nkale.
For issues relating to the Anglophone cause, Nnoko Julius Nkale and others have become persons of interest in Cameroon. The regime has set its sight on him with intent to prosecute and incarcerate him based on charges for acts of treason, terrorism, secession, propagation of fake news, rebellion against the state and sponsoring of the Anglophone crisis.
The Sun gathered that Nnoko Julius Nkale joined the Southern Cameroons National Council(SCNC), a separatist movement clamouring for the restoration of independence of Southern Cameroons in 2015. According to reports, he has since been involved in the distribution of SCNC materials, including flyers, tracks, T- shirts. He has, on several occasions, been arrested and malhandled under questionable conditions while in detention by security forces.
It has been said that his refusal to steer clear the outlawed SCNC and its activities despite multiple arrests, threats and incarceration is the reason why their village residence in Kumba, Meme Division was allegedly targeted by the military and burned to the ground.
Nnoko Julius Nkale just like many Anglophones and SCNC activists were thereafter linked to the sponsoring of Ambazonian fighters.
On September 22, 2017, he took part in peaceful SCNC demonstrations organised to lay ground work for the restoration of Southern Cameroon’s independenceon October 1, 2017. He has since been targeted and placed under security search light for felonies including military killings, abduction, arson and molestation, on Anglophone youths. Crimes which popular opinion hold, were carried out by the regime in power.Nnoko Julius Nkalewent at large so as to evade detention.
The SUN also gathered that, Nnoko Julius Nkale suffered molestation, dehumanization and was forced to view images and videos of people being dismembered and buried in mass graves. He finally escaped the country,as well as many other Anglophone activists, after being declared wanted by the state.
Family sources have disclosed that their residential area is always under constant checks and monitoring, all in a bid to crack down on Nnoko Julius Nkale.