Boko Haram Kidnaps Cameroon Vice PM’s Wife, Mayor, others

Members of the Islamic sect Boko Haram have attacked the residence of the Vice Prime Minister, Amadou Ali kidnapping his wife, his body guard, Lamido-Mayor of kolofata, children in the Far North Region of Cameroon.  

It is alleged that the insurgents attacked the Vice Prime Minister’s residence at about 4am, Sunday morning July 27, 2014. There was violent exchange of gunfire between Boko Haram insurgents and elements of the Rapid intervention Battalion (BIR). The villagers who were preparing for the Muslim feast got up for early morning prayers to the sounds of heavy artilleries and gun firing. Allegedly, the insurgents who are said to be heavily armed infiltrated Kolofata, the hometown of Cameroon's Vice Prime minister, Amadou Ali, who was expected home to celebrate the Muslim feast of Ramadan with his family. It is not clear how the vice prime minister himself survived the attack, as it is likely he was the original target .16 people are alleged to have been killed in the attack, including 11 members of Amadou Ali's family, 2 from the mayor's family, 2 Gendarme officers and one BIR; and in a swift response, security officials have whisked the deputy prime minister away to Mora for safety. Amadou Ali's wife and body guard were kidnapped during the exchange at their residence in Kokofata including the village’s traditional ruler (lamido) who doubles as Mayor including his wife, four children and his niece. Sources say another bodyguard was seriously wounded during the bloody attack. .Kolofata, it should be noted is a small locality situated in the Mayo-Sava division of the far north region in Cameroon. Last week, a local newspaper L’eoil du Sahel reported that over 500 youths were recruited by Boko Haram in the Mayo-Sava Division, yet it came to past that Mayo-Sava is again in the news. It is alleged the residence of the Vice Prime Minister was set on fire and while

Colonel Felix Nji Formekong, the second commander of Cameroon's third inter-army military region, based in the regional headquarters Maroua, is quoted to have said that: "The situation is very critical here now and as I am talking to you the Boko Haram elements are still in Kolofata town in a clash with our soldiers. Some of them have already taken away the wife of Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali and her house help while the bodyguards of the Vice Prime Minister have succeeded in taking him out of the town to Mora,” Formekong said, adding that there could be more casualties”. The residence of Amadou Ali, according to what we gathered was set on fire yet the number of people who lost their lives is still to be confirmed. Cameroon’s minister of Communication Issa Tchiroma Bakary speaking on the state media launched a clarion cal on the population of the Northern region to collaborate with military officers. He said Muslims in Cameroon are very tolerant. “We have no other option than to win the war against Boko Haram” as declared by the head of state, Issa Tchiroma Bakary added. Tchiroma emphasized on Cameroonians who could lay hands on any information about Boko Haram to work with the forces of law and order.

It is alleged that at least four soldiers were killed in the previous attacks. The abductions come barely two days after some 22 suspected Boko Haram militants, who have been held in Maroua since March, were on Friday sentenced to prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20. In a related story, reports also say the locality of Amchidé in the same region was under heavy attack as well.  In recent weeks as Cameroon has deployed troops to the border region, joining international efforts to combat the militants and has suffered an increase in terrorist attacks as a result. This morning's attack is the third Boko Haram act of violence in Cameroon since Friday.

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