Tension in Bamenda as Police Arrest Occultic Group Specialized in Abducting Children

Photo Courtesy (Abakwa Online)

Thirty children were found in a house located at Longla Street in Bamenda where a group of men and women have been abducting children. The children are said to have been kept in the enclosed house for several years. There was tension, shock and disbelief as thousands gathered to caught the first glimpse of the people who have been trafficking children in Bamenda town. 

The news of the discovery spread round the town like wild fire. Police sources and eye witness account say the fenced house had almost every thing. Inside the compound where the children were abducted there is said to be a school, church, gymnasium and a clinic. According to what we gathered the women and the children never go out of the compound except the men who go out to look for food. And that only the men usually go out to look for food and other needs. For how long the obnoxious act has been going on, police are still investigating into the matter. However, it should be noted that the entire town of Bamenda was transferred to Longla, thousands stormed the area. Also present was the National Chairman of the SDF, Ni John Fru Ndi who was almost buried in the crowd. 

Sources say the ring leaders are five in number and allegedly from Batibo. Besides, eight women were also found inside the house and are said to be their wives. At Press time, we were unable to get a picture of one of the traffickers as the population was almost out of hand. If not of the heavy deployment of troops, the population wanted to carryout jungle justice on the traffickers. The population even attempted to set the house ablaze but the timely intervention of the Bamenda fire fighters rescued the situation. More so thousands blocked the police van from evacuating members of the occultic group yet the police at last had the final say. Yet sources say the group has been living in that compound since 2001. Instead, they were 8 women and seven men. It is alleged they had their own doctor, pastor, midwife and do not eat meat. The worst part is that it is also alleged the men would take out any woman. The children it is rumoured do not even know their fathers. And that they believe this is their own way of producing a pure breed of human beings sources hinted.

According to "Abakwa Online", two years back, a journalist for a local radio reported in the popular Pidgin English news “Tory Time” of a boy belonging to the sect who drowned under mysterious circumstances at the Mezam River. Despite a thorough search by the community, his body only surfaced when the sect members arrive at the river side. Curiously enough his remains where not taken to the mortuary but to their base.  For four days this became a regular news item over the radio, forcing the sect members to take the corpse to the mortuary. They later confronted the journalist with a receipt trying to discredit him. Unfortunately the receipt date shows it was deposited four days later further raising suspicion of foul play.

This journalist continued his investigations and found out that, there were children and women being held in the compound the sect use as their base at the Longla neighbourhood. This prompted the judicial police to open up an investigation which was eventually dropped.

The journalist became a target for the sect as they used both persuasive and forceful means to get close to him.

On March 12, 2013, one of the sect adherents, 38 years old Harrison Ngong a graduate from the university of Buea died in the early hours of the day. His mother who lives not far away was informed. She would not believe the story that his son suffered a heart attack simply by judging from his physical appearance which looked insipid and rugged. She immediately informed the police.

They police decided to carry a thorough search of the compound and found 30 children between the ages of 1 and 18 all at sleep probably from drug influence. By this time the neighbours had notice some activities in a no go area and became curious. Within a few minutes the place was jammed full by curious onlookers. As the story spread across town, thousands of people arrived the scene while others went to the hospital where the corpse of Ngong was taken to.

The area soon became a battle ground between the few police officers and the huge crowd which wanted the heads of the sect leaders. Mezam SDO, the DO for Bamenda II and the SDF chairman all arrived the scene but could only help watch as the crowd continued to swell.

However, a school of thought holds that the group is responsible for the number of children that have got missing in Bamenda town. More so, questions such where have they been having money to pay bills, house rent, sustain themselves and many others are bound. Besides, another school of thought is of the opinion that there is a hidden agenda and that agenda could be not less than that the group is involved in child trafficking and theft.

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