Bamenda: 69-year-old Woman Goes missing after threats from separatist fighters

Security forces have launched investigations into the case of a 69-year-old internally displaced woman who fled violence in Bafut, in the North West Region, and has gone missing in Bamenda.

The woman, identified as Lem Shiona, 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 Shiona at her home on November 10, 2025, after the elderly woman fled from Bafut following repeated threats from separatist fighters.

Chewah said the missing lady reportedly told her that armed separatist fighters had burned down their family home and business premises in Bafut following allegations that her son, Suh John, was collaborating with government forces.

During the incident, Shiona and her son escaped an attempted abduction by the fighters. This comes four years after her husband, Suh Jacob, was captured and later killed by the same armed men in 2021 after what the family described as “false allegations.” His body was reportedly abandoned on the street.

Following the tragedy, the elderly woman reportedly developed health complications, including high blood pressure, and began living in fear due to alleged threats from the same fighters.

Her son later moved to the French-speaking region for safety. However, family members say the woman has since been worried about his whereabouts, as she has had little or no contact with him.

Chewah said Lem Shiona had been living in her residence for over three months before she disappeared. She said the lady was living in a section of her apartment that she also used as her kitchen.

She explained that on the night of February 28, she heard footsteps around the compound but initially thought 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,” she said. At the time, she did not immediately suspect anything unusual.

However, after several days had passed without seeing or hearing from the elderly woman, concern began to grow. Even neighbors in Mile 4 Nkwen said they have not seen her.

“As days went by and till today, I have not seen nor heard from her,” Chewah said.

In a complaint handed over to the police, Chewah said she is calling on the security authorities to intervene and help locate the missing woman. She said she fears that she might have been abducted and killed somewhere.

“Even if she has been killed we just want to know and even see her body. Everyone is traumatized in the family,” family member said.