By Moma Sandrine
It was on Monday July 30 that the town of Bali in the North West Region of Cameroon was driven into a total state of confusion following the kidnap of its special branch police commissioner, Sam Mbida.
According to reports, the police officer was kidnapped alongside his wife from his residence in Nguti that fateful day at about 9am by unidentified gun men. “We were sighted in our house not very far from the police officers residence when we got information about our neighbors kidnap. According to a female nurse who had gone to administer him medication on that fateful day, a group of unidentified men bumped into the police commissioner’s house and bundled him out.
It was shocking and terrifying,“ a source told The SUN.
Shortly after his kidnap, the entire Nguti quarter was flooded with police officers causing some persons to flee their houses for fear of the unknown. “We had to run away from our house as we saw the police aggression. We have been hearing about their ordeals during this crisis and we don’t want to be victims. We have relocated to another quarter within Bali.” The SUN was told.
A day after the police officer was kidnapped; there was serious police control all over Travelers Quarters in Bamenda. This follows rumors that some people had smuggled weapons into the town. It was also said that the police were checking for the suspected kidnappers.
Days after the commissioner was kidnapped, it was rumored that he had been killed. Authorities are however yet to confirm this information.
In the mean time, uneasy calm has returned to Bali as residuals of the community have begun going about their normal activities while those who had fled their houses have returned.
Series of kidnaps have been recorded since the start of the Anglophone crisis in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon. In most cases, the separatist fighters are accused for carrying out the act.