Suspected Ambazonia Fighters Kill Truck Driver In Mile 29, Relatives Denounce Gendarme Extortion

A Truck driver from Banga Bakundu, Meme Division, Tesla Mukete, has been shot by suspected Ambazonia fighters this Sunday, July 26, 2020, around Mile 29, a locality in the outskirts of Muyuka Sub Division, Fako Division in the Southwest region. The said driver and three of his colleagues left Douala in the Littoral region on Saturday, July 25 with two truckloads of Groundnut Oil.

When they reached Ekona Town around 11 PM, gendarmes stopped them and allegedly demanded the sum of FCFA 50,000 each before they could continue their journey. The drivers gave the gendarmes FCFA 2000 each, which is said to be the normal amount, paid at control posts. The gendarmes refused to take the money insisting that it is too small. The drivers called their boss who expressed worries adding that the goods have receipts because they were duly purchased from Mayor Company in Douala.

The truck drivers spent the whole night there until Mayor Company sent an agent to testify that the goods are from their company in Douala.“As the trucks were released, the drivers took the Ekona-Muyuka highway around 9 AM but were stopped around Mile 29, by some heavily armed men,” A witness narrated to CNA. The men asked the drivers to deviate into the bush but when Tesla Mukete said entering the Mautu entrance was dangerous because of bad road. One of the gunmen who stood from the side of the road shot Tesle Mukete dead.

When BIR elements, family members and Gendarmes from Muyuka arrived the scene shortly after, the Rapid Intervention Battalion commander insisted that the man be kept at the Muyuka mortuary but the family wanted to proceed with the corpse to Kumba. After several arguments, they allegedly gave the BIR FCFA 40,000.

“As the corpse was being taken to Kumba, the Gendarmes suddenly overtook us, blocked the road and asked us to take the corpse to the Brigade in Muyuka. They told us that they wanted to make a report on what happened. Another argument lasted for more than four hours. The boss of the deceased and others threatened to abandon the corpse in the hands of the Gendarmes” The witness revealed.

The sum of FCFA 120,000 was allegedly given to the gendarmes before they could allow the corpse. A Hilux was used to transport the corpse to Kumba.