Fake BIR Gets Caught In Buea For Attempted Theft

A young boy in his late 20s bought his way into a police cell yesterday after he was caught faking to be a uniform man.

Yesterday October 11, 2020, a young man whose name CNA cannot disclose was beaten and thrown into the Molyko police cell. This was after some inhabitants living along the tarred Malingo stretch of road in Buea took him to the police station for trying to rub them off their phones.

According to one of the boys, the boy in question met them and told them he was a member of the Rapid Battalion Intervention (BIR).

How it Happened

As explained by one of the victims of last night’s event, the boy man came with another person to their house last evening at about 7PM claiming to be BIR soldiers from the Mile 17 station.

“They met me at my neighbour’s house when we were discussing. One of them removed a knife showed us. He told us they are BIR and they are looking for AMBA boys and scammers because he heard they are living around our area. One of them took me to my room and shut the door immediately with his friend and my friend inside the house.

“I explained to him we are not AMBA boys and that it’s ok I will follow him to the station. While we left for the station, I gave them my house keys and phone to show them I wasn’t going to run. Mind you, they weren’t in uniform. Immediately we reached the roadside, I saw someone I wanted to buy a black pair of jean trousers from. As I bidding the price with him, I collected my phone and told them I wanted to ask a friend to send me money via Mobile Money to pay for the trouser.

“That was when I started calling my friend who is a soldier. I insisted he comes and gives me money to buy the trouser. He too is a wise person, he understood the way I was sounding, rushed and met me with the 2 fake BIR soldiers there.

“After they chatted for a few seconds, one of the fake BIR soldiers left and his friend was insisting on taking me to their station. My soldier friend started questioning but he couldn’t answer the question.”

The young man explained

How he ended up at the police station

This reporter met a scene in Malingo street where the inhabitants were beating the boy. Many around there confirmed they have gone through malaise from guys who meet them and seize their phones in the name of military looking scammers and Amba boys.

After beating him for over an hour, the police were not forth coming despite several invitations from the inhabitants. They were left with no other option but to take him to the police station. That was where the number of concerned population reduced drastically to 3. Just 3 persons made it there. Are Cameroonians afraid of their soldiers?

At the station, the boy is questioned and he seemingly has nothing to say, with guilt written all over his face. Though this reporter couldn’t pick all what was said in French, the reporter understands the boy in question is from Mutengene, speaks French fluently and not a BIR soldier though he looked dark in complexion.

All the officers at the station were very furious and swore he would give a statement and serve some cell terms before any other action taken against him. this was about 9PM.

PS: it is very common in Buea and Bamenda these days for uniform men to meet young boys and ask to check their phones. In their eyes, all young men are scammers or have something to do with Amba boys. It has reached a point where they check even at controls check points.

Travelers too have learnt to travel without their phones. Young men these days do not walk with their smart phones in the streets, they do so with their “tchoronko.”

These boys wanted to use it as an opportunity to steal and one of them was caught.