Bamenda: Family of 27-year-old Lady Accuses Military of Abduction, Rape
Grave allegations of abduction, robbery, and sexual assault have emerged from Bamenda, North West region. CNA newsroom received documents and testimony from a family member who pleaded anonymity, alleging that his sister was arrested and raped by government forces.
This evening (half past 5pm) at Mile 4 Nkwen, Bamenda, my sister was forcefully arrested by the military while on a bike. She was later raped. This is a very traumatic situation, and we fear for her safety and justice. Please help bring attention to this case so the authorities can take action.
The incident reportedly took place on the evening of September 29, targeting a young woman en route to the Mile 4 junction.
According to a detailed account, the victim was halted by individuals in a white Toyota vehicle. After demanding her identification, which was then confiscated, she was allegedly forced at gunpoint into the vehicle with other civilians. They were reportedly transported to an isolated location where their money was seized.
The detainees were eventually released, but the victim was allegedly singled out and held back. It is further claimed that a man, referred to as their “boss,” forcibly took her into a room within the occupied house, where she was sexually assaulted. The perpetrator is said to have threatened her with a firearm when she pleaded for safety. His colleagues were reportedly absent, “hunting for others,” during this time, CNA was told.
The victim was subsequently released after the assault.
This harrowing account, if confirmed, points to a severe breach of law and human rights, highlighting a terrifying vulnerability faced by residents in Bamenda.
The victim’s brother said the perpetrators were dressed in regular BIR attire- the mobile intervention unit of the army. They had a white Hilus and carried heavy weapons.
They took her away, and she returned 45 minutes later, crying to her family that she had been raped. The family evacuated her to a nearby hospital. Hospital and consultation records were sent to CNA and can be confirmed by the newsroom.
The doctor said after an observation that there was the “presence of a tiny laceration at the posterior fourchette from the tibia towards the abrasion.” CNA research shows that the doctor meant,
The posterior fourchette is a fragile area of tissue and is one of the most common sites for tears (lacerations) during non-consensual sexual intercourse, especially when there is force, insufficient lubrication, or a lack of preparation…While still an unusual anatomical reference, if we interpret “tibia” broadly as a directional cue for force applied (perhaps the leg was used to hold or press, or there was a struggle involving the leg), and “abrasion” as a scrape elsewhere, it suggests a vector of force or trauma. More commonly, “towards abrasion” would imply the laceration is contiguous with or leading into a scraped area on the surrounding soft tissue (perineum, inner labia), further indicating trauma.- Google explanation.
The family has called for justice while noting that the incident has caused severe physical and emotional harm to their daughter.
It is not certain from which camp the perpetrators came from, but findingds show that there’s a military camp located at Magaji, a small quarter at Mile 4 Nkwen, towards the direction of the Mile 4 market from the junction.
