By Atia Tilarious Azohnwi
Presumed separatists in a restive English-speaking region of Cameroon, where the situation remains extremely tense staged a series of attacks in Mutengene and Tombel in the North West as well as in Mbengwi, Benakuma and Esu. Sunday, August 5 witnessed the gruesome murder of a police officer in Mutengene, the abduction of a civil administrator in Benakuma, and the spilling of blood in Tombel, Esu and Mbengwi.
Police officer shot dead in Mutengene
Ekah Njume, a police officer is said to have been shot Sunday morning at his residence at Full Gospel Church Street Quarter IV Mutengene by unidentified armed men. Denizens of Mutengene say Ambazonia fighters may be behind the killing.
We learnt the Njume was preparing to go to Church and his children were about their routine chores when the armed men forced their way in. The mother of the murdered police officer is said to have pleaded in vain to save her son’s life.
“I am at Quarter III Mutengene. We are close to where the senior police officer was shot. Police officers came and rushed him to the hospital but we are told he had died before they got there. I can’t tell what is happening now. But inhabitants are running from the quarter. There are afraid that the military may retaliate. Those of us who have stayed back have remained indoors. The streets are deserted,” a Quarter III resident in Mutengene told The SUN.
Many persons were stranded in church until late in the evening, with others sleeping in church houses.
murdered in Mutengene
“It’s terrible now in Mutengene. My mum is stranded in church. There is no way for her to go home. Amba boys are just everywhere,” an inhabitant of Quarter 7 said.
She adds that, “I just heard the military is around as well. I don’t know the state of things now but boys who were playing football at s field beside our house were asked to sit on the floor and were beaten by the Amba boys.”
Tombel in lockdown!
As we went to press on Sunday, we had news of fierce fighting in Tombel, Kupe-Muanenguba Division. We learnt that the military besieged Tombel after “the brutal killing of three gendarme officers Saturday night.
Reports have it that five houses were burnt at Mboh, one Amba fighter killed along with two civilian deaths – a 22-year-old girl is said to have had her lower jaw broken by bullets.
Menchum Valley DO kidnapped
Elsewhere in the Menchum Division, news went viral suggesting that the Divisional Officer, DO, of Menchum Valley Subdivision was kidnapped at about 4:00am on Sunday. Nwanjo Lokombe was reportedly abducted in Benakuma by unidentified persons.
Violence soars in Esu
Pro-Independence fighters Sunday morning reportedly stormed a makeshift gendarmerie post in Esu in Fungom Subdivision in Menchum Division and opened fire.
They did so at the time when no security official was at the site, we learnt. “I can’t tell why the post was void of forces who are always on guard,” a local said. Christians going for the Sunday morning worship have made a u-turn, while those who were already in church became stranded. “Serious gunshots are still being heard, we are really scared,” a local said as we went to press.
Some accounts suggest that four gendarme officers were shot dead including the brigade commander – who was attacked in his hotel room. Amba fighters are said to be behind the attacks that is said to have left one theirs dead. Several youths are now seeking refuge in bushes, we learnt.