Bamenda: 58-year-old woman goes missing after alleged threats from separatist fighters
Security forces have launched an investigation into the disappearance of a 58-year-old internally displaced woman who fled violence in Bafut, North West Region, and later went missing in Bamenda.
The woman, identified as Lem Shenah, was last seen on the night of February 28, 2026, at a residence in the Mile 4 Nkwen neighbourhood where she had been staying since November 2025.
Her disappearance was reported to the Commissioner of the Mile 4 Second District Police Station by Chewah Marie, the woman who had been hosting her in Bamenda.
According to Chewah, she received Lem Shenah into her home on November 10, 2025, after the elderly woman fled from Bafut following repeated threats from armed separatist fighters directed at her family.
Chewah explained that the missing woman had told her that separatist fighters burned down their family home and business premises in Bafut after rumors spread that her son, Suh John, was secretly collaborating with government forces. According to the claims, this alleged collaboration led to the arrest of several separatist fighters and some of their commanders.
Chewah further stated that in 2021, separatist fighters attacked their residence in Bafut, burned down the property, and abducted her husband, Suh Jacob, whose whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
At the moment of the incidents, Lem Shenah reportedly went for medical treatment while her son narrowly escaped an attempted abduction by the fighters and fled to the Francophone region of Cameroon for safety
Following these events, the elderly woman reportedly developed health complications, including high blood pressure, and continued to live in fear due to threats allegedly coming from separatist fighters seeking revenge after the arrest of some of their commanders.
Chewah said Lem Shenah had been living in her residence for over three months before she disappeared. She added that the woman was staying in a section of the apartment that also served as her kitchen.
She explained that on the night of February 28, she heard footsteps around the compound but initially believed the noise came from customers of a nearby bar.
“The next morning, I noticed that the door of the room she occupied, which also serves as my kitchen, was open,” Chewah said, adding that she did not immediately suspect anything unusual.
However, after several days passed without seeing or hearing from the elderly woman, concern began to grow. Neighbours in the Mile 4 Nkwen area also reported that they had not seen her.
“As the days went by, and until today, I have neither seen nor heard from her,” Chewah said.
In a complaint submitted to the police, Chewah called on security authorities to intervene and help locate the missing woman. She expressed fear that the elderly woman might have been abducted and possibly killed.
