Uniform Officers conduct massive arrests, including kids, extort them before release
By Wilson Musa
On the night of Saturday breaking Sunday, September 8, 2024, government forces stormed the Noble Man, Nitob III, Mancho Street, back mortuary, Mancho Street, and other neighborhoods resulting in more than 500 arrests.
Among those detained were women and children with some of the kids as young as five years old. Speaking to this reporter, their mother said they hadn’t eaten since their arrest.
The detainees including old people were taken to the central police station at old town Bamenda where they were held for the entire day.
By the end of the day, they needed 10,000 FCFA each for their release. Among them were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who could not afford the bail leading to a significant number remaining at the police station. By 5 pm Sunday, September 8, many were still at the police station, and many were still there at the time of this report.
” I paid 10,000 FCFA and was issued something that looked like a receipt. On my way out, the officers at the gate collected the receipt,” Etienne ( not his real name) said.
Another victim who didn’t want to be named said: “They refused to give my bike. Others were asked to pay 25000 FCFA before their vehicles would be handed to them.
Cases Of Rape, Theft Reported During The Raids:
Nchang as she elected to be addressed said she was at Noble Man to spend the lockdown with her friend, Unice. Little did she know her friend’s neighborhood was going to be invaded that night.
” They hit our door, and forced us to open or they would burn it down. We were in our nightwear. One asked in French if we were the only ones at home. My friend said yes.” Nchang said and further narrated that ” one of them pointed a gun at us and said we should undress. We tried to resist but they overpowered us,” she narrated as tears streamed down her eyes.
Reports have also emerged that soldiers confiscated huge sums of money and other valuables like smartphones, headsets, and jewelry among others.
Human Rights bodies have yet to state these events. Elites including elected officials, religious, and traditional authorities have exercised sealed lips over what many are calling a gross violation of human rights.
While government officials notable the security forces claim the operation was a security measure to protect the people and their property, the population believes it was one of their moves to enrich themselves by continuing milking the population dry.
