ARE THE AMBAZONIA FREEDOM FIGHTERS IN BUI COUNTY HARASSING DENIZENS?
Inhabitants of Kumbo LGA in Bui County and neighbouring Counties are in a fix as Ambazonian freedom fighters recently stepped up measures that are directly affecting denizens. Unconfirmed reports reaching Undaunted say in Shisong, Kumbo LGA the Ambazonian freedom fighters are forcing shop owners to pay them what they call “Taxes” and that some business owners have been shabbily treated and some were abducted and forced to pay heavy ransom upon their release in the Mbuluf camp.
Undaunted gathered that in Bajing – Tobin, still in Kumbo LGA 6 students of Government Bilingual High School, GBHS Kumbo were abducted on February 12, 2023, for allegedly participating in the LRC’s organized 11th of February Youth Day march past. They are allegedly being held in captivity in their Nkobi – Kikaikom Camp. One student is said to have been released while the other 5 are still missing. Among them is a teenage girl of 16 years old. The parents of the 5 are distressed and are pleading for the release of their children. Reports say the parents are arguing that their children did not participate in the march past and that they were victims of blackmail from neighbours whose children are school dropouts.
There is general discontent too with the number of road checkpoints the Bui Ambazonian freedom fighters have erected between Kumbo LGA and Wainamah in Jakiri LGA; Six checkpoints at a distance of 31 Kilometres. Drivers are forced to pay FCFA 2000 per checkpoint while passengers are also forced to alight from their vehicles and pay FCFA 500 for what they call “supporting the struggle”. The transport fare from Kumbo to Bamenda (105km) is FCFA 7000 while Kumbo Jakiri (23 km) which was FCFA 500frs before the conflict is now at FCFA 2000.
“The Checkpoints at Sarkong Wainamah and Wainamah Town can be compared only to the Coupéurs de Route in the North of Cameroun….they seize phones, money and valuables from passengers and force some passengers to sit with them until they pay heavy sums of money before entering their cars….” Says Mr. Felix one of the Businessmen who ply the road three times a week. In some cases Undaunted learnt: “Some passengers have been forced several times to reveal their Mobile Money pin codes and money swept from their accounts, and that an angry driver was severely beaten at the Sop Checkpoint when questioned about their moves.
It is alleged that another driver was beaten last Sunday for saying that “Bui County is exaggerating this struggle and they prefer the military that aren’t harassing them and molesting their passengers”. It is said that after Wainamah in Jakiri LGA every passenger sings in the car till Bamenda because there is no Ambazonia freedom fighter checkpoint in the whole of Ngoketunjia and Mezam Counties.
Worthy to note that the ARFs of Ngoketunjia County just recently lifted the ban on travelling along Bamenda – Ndop – Kumbo axis
