– Bekora Chief reportedly missing
– Abducted divisional delegates still missing nine months later
– Women say Enough is Enough!
– Governor Okalia assures population that means will be put in place to neutralise
those who want to destabilise Ndian Division
BY MAMBE NJIKOFORE MANDE
The people of Ekondo-Titi subdivision and Ndian division in general are shattered by the horrendous tragedy which took away the lives of some state officials on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, when 4 of 6 improvised explosive devices, IEDs exploded on the convoy carrying the Divisional officer for Ekondo-Titi subdivision.
The procession went over improvised explosive devices en route to Bekora Barombi, a village in Ekondo-Titi subdivision for a socioeconomic tour. Those murdered include;
-Timothée Aboloa, Divisional officer for Ekondo-Titi subdivision
– Nanji Kenneth, Mayor of Ekondo-Titi council
– Ibeku William, Section president of CPDM
– Meh Stanley, Driver to the D.O
– Itoe Alliance Eyakwe, staff at the D.Os office
– Senior officer Akono and another junior military officer
The Governor of the Southwest region, Bernard Okalia Bilai while on a visit to Ekondo-Titi subdivision following the incident assured the population that “The head of state and all his government are behind the community of Ekondo-Titi. All the means will be put in place to neutralise those who want to destabilise Ndian division,”
The Southwest governor also guaranteed the population of EkondoTiti subdivision that they should not panic, “We are not abandoned as some may believe. The state is there to continue to protect them.”
The people of Ekondo-Titi subdivision on their part cried that something needs to be done now because they are tired.
The late mayor of Ekondo-Titi’s murder sent shock waves to his former students of Government High School, GHS Ekondo-Titi where he had served as discipline master, “My Able discipline Master. Mr Nanji Kenneth, aka ‘Attach’ as we nicknamed you in GHS Ekondo-Titi. Students will always remember you for your relentless effort to give us a better future.” A grief stricken former student cried.
SOBANS were not left out of the grief. A student of the 1970 batch of Saint Joseph’s College, Sasse, Mayor Nanji interacted with all. He was friendly and very engaging not only with his classmates but all those who met him in the college. He was one of two SOBANS occupying mayoral positions, all in Ndian. The other Ossang is mayor of Mundemba.
Meanwhile, the Ndian Women Network (NWONE), in a statement released on March 5 has condemned these murders and other atrocities plaguing the “loving and peaceful” people of Ndian, “We the Ndian Women from all 09 council areas of the division in the southwest region are appalled by the continuing violence and targeted attacks against our people and communities…The ongoing violence and atrocities have created untold pains and great hardship for the whole civilian population,” it read.
The seven people were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine on their way to Bekora Barombi, a village in Ekondo-Titi sub division, in Ndian division, Cameroon. The Divisional Officer of Ekondo-Titi and his entourage were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine on their way to Bekora Barombi for a contact tour when the unpleasant incident happened.
Unofficial reports also hold that Chief Simon Ndengi of Bekora village, where the attack purportedly occurred, was wounded but is currently receiving treatment.
The murder comes just few months after a teacher and four students were killed in Ekondo-Titi last November 2021, following an attack ascribed to armed separatist fighters in the locality.
In the same vein, half a dozen government officials were kidnapped in Ekondo-Titi in June 2021 with one killed and the whereabouts of the others remain unknown at press time.