Oct. 1, 2012 Report from Buea: Arrested Under God's Armpits in Buea

Arrested Under God's Armpits

In war areas and conflict zones, it is commonly believed that the Church is a refuge for fleeing helpless citizens. In Rwanda in the early 90s, many Tutsis thought they could seek refuge in church premises, but they were followed up and massacred in Church houses. What transpired last October 1, 2012 in Buea was an unprecedented case of the devil chasing the Saints.

This reporter had just received a desperate message from one of the leaders of the Southern Cameroons activists that " Police in Church". On making a call, we were informed that it was at the Great Soppo Catholic Church. On approaching the vicinity of the church, a Police van was parked there besides a black jeep reportedly belonging to one of the activists. The Police Commissioner in command, one Atanga, in mufti, gave orders that the two journalists be searched and identified. This reporter introduced himself as the Vice President of Commonwealth Journalists Association-CJA Cameroon, and Vice President of CAMASEJ, Bamenda branch, on mission to cover the October 1 events.

This was not satisfactory to the police who insisted and collected our Press cards and asked us to get into the church. Apparently, they had collected I.D. Cards from those who had gone in. Inside the church, prayers were going on frantically, with bidding prayers from Christians calling on God to take over and let justice and the truth thrive in the world.

Barely some minutes to the close of the early morning service, a contingent of well armed police men led by Commissioner Handy L, surrounded the church issuing some strong orders in the command language, French. He shouted that all in the church had 3 minutes to walk to the police vans outside else they will see extreme brutality.

At this juncture, all the police agents were assigned to each escort the Christians and the activists to the over seven vans now parked outside. All including the two Catechists and the two journalists were arrested and whisked off to the Central Police Station where the Judicial Police took over three hours coercing statements out of these people. This reporter witnessed an avalanche of horrible misrepresentation of statements, as the people said one thing and the police wrote something else.

Even when the lawyers, led by Barrister Ajong Stanislaus came in, the police refused that he will not give legal advise to Nffor Nfor , stating that he could not do so when the statements were already being taken. All the legal gymnastics done, the police were stiff, as they were bent on completing their agenda.

The next confrontation was the instructions from "Yaounde" for all to have their thumb prints on a blank piece of paper and pphoto taken of each, to be sent to Yaounde before release. All rejected this, expressing fears that this could be a ploy to implicate and liaise each to a "pact" sometimes later, given the dubious and diabolic intents of the regime. Yet, the police resorted to 'duress' and obliged all to go through the suspicious exercise.

 

From Police to the Courts:

At 4;30 p.m., a Black Maria showed up, asking all to get in and be transferred to the Court of First Instance, Buea. After four trips all, the over 80, including the two journalists were at the court house. Two hours later, each one was called and given a charge ranging from "Secession" , holding or participating in an illegal meeting to destabilization of the state of LRC. All pleaded not guilty and were asked to report back in court on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

It should be noted that the arrested activists and journalists were kept in court from 4:30 p.m. till 12 midnight, when they were asked to either go home( wherever) and return on Wednesday, or march back to the police station. There and then, their lawyer, this time Barrister Berinyuyu Blaise advised that they go home.

At this juncture, a Reverend man gave a word of prayers on the balcony, concluded by Ma Mary Tawah who covered all with the blood of Jesus. A very serious joke emanated from the crowd, when one activist insinuated that the fact that they had prayed again around the court could constitute another charge. All, including the police and the State Counsel, who was still around laughed.

Points of Stress:

It has now gone down on record that Southern Cameroonian activists resorted to handing over their plight to God on October 1, 2012. That they decided to break their seven day fasting at the Great Soppos  St Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, and while they were still praying, police men, armed to the teeth, invaded the church, arrested everyone, including journalists who were in the vicinity, and the two church authorities, led by the catechist, Madam Margaret Kah Njoh, who was walking on stretchers. All were whisked off to the police station.

It must be noted that for the first time, four huge flags of the Southern Cameroons were hoisted in four strategic points, viz: the Ayato area, few kilometers from the Mungo Bridge into the LRC end, given that Southern Cameroons land extends far beyond that river. The second was at the Soppo Market, while the other was at the Molyko Check Point.

According to Nfor Nfor, the Acting national Chairman of SCNC, they were not in Buea to make any new declarations, for this had already been made in 2000 by their leaders then. What they were onto now in Buea was to keep the flame burning by commemorating the day and seeing to the gradual concretizing of the restoration.

Nfor Nfor emphasized that wide-scale consultations are ongoing, and very soon, concrete and visible things will surface unlike the several internet announcements and declarations. He revealed that serious consultations are going on and that whatever will emerge will cut across the entire Southern Cameroons society.

Concluding his briefing to the press, he hinted that the presence in Buea is to send a serious signal to the international community that Southern Cameroonians have crossed the Jordan.

Many hold that the police helped to make the day for SCNC, when they went ahead to arresting the activists and journalists who were peacefully praying in church. This is an unprecedented scenario, given that in the past, arrests were made either while the activists were holding planning meetings or marching on the streets. If the police had watched the Christians leave the church individually and disappear each in their respective direction, the story would have ended there. But, as if to do God's will, these guys gave SCNC the much desired publicity by not only arresting them, but doing so in a spectacular and unprecedented manner…in church while praying.

Henceforth, the Southern Cameroons case has been shifted and handed to God as the children of God ran and hid under his armpit and were still seized by the devil.

Cases of Human Rights Abuse Registered

We tracked and recorded varying situations of human rights abuses in the course of the three days . On the night of September 28, 2012, the police carried out a raid in the Mutengene and Muyuka areas in Fako.  Forkum Andrew and Mwelem Lawrence were thus picked up from their homes deep in the night and taken to the police where they were detained.

In Ekona, one Ajujudin Evaristus's home was invaded and raided at 5 a.m breaking October 1. They got him in his pants, and no inner wears on. The police requested that he opens an adjoining room, and when he said he had no keys to the door, they used the butt of their guns to break it down. Therein, they ransacked and took away all documents, including books written by Nfor > Nfor on the Southern Cameroons struggle. That is when they molested him, slapped him in his eyes and carted off with a huge amount of monies meant for the completion of their house. He was behind the open van naked in the cold right up to Buea.

At Mile 14 Buea, a police squad invaded the residence of Offon peter, the Fako County Chairman of SCNC. Not seeing him at home, they fell on the wife and some guests in the house, arrested them and turned the house upside down.

Reports from Nkambe are that homes are being raided by the forces, and that the SCNC newsletter, the National Vision has been banned there.

In Bamenda, Hon. Ndangam Augustine and Thomas Nwacham were arrested at a bus station as they were preparing to travel to Buea for the October 1, commemoration.

The Big Ponder: A Call to Arms?

The big question on most lips is why the African Commission on Human and peoples' Rights remains silent in the face of all these atrocities, especially given that the verdict on Communication 266/2003 bluntly attests that Southern Cameroonians are a People. Moreover, the African Union endorsed the position of the ACHPR that La Republique du Cameroun engages Southern Cameroons in meaningful dialogue within a given period, yet as of date, La Republique du Cameroun has neither bulged nor stopped its atrocious activities in that territory called Southern Cameroons.

Another ponder is why the world will sit by and watch a people being molested legally and otherwise, especially in the case where these people legally and legitimately came to Buea, their capital to commemorate a day even the international community and LRC recorgnize as the independence day of British Southern Cameroons! These people were arrested last October 1, 2011 for being in Buea, and the case is still pending in court, while these people pay huge amounts to travel to and from Buea for the case that has never taken off…yet, here comes another one…in another kangaroo court and the world sits and watches!!! What is this entailing! That Southern Cameroonians should resort to arms struggle to attract the attention of the world?

Another expectation is that the Vatican intervenes and investigates what really transpired, for it is unthinkable that children of God seek refuge in God's bosom and are chased and arrested in God's house. It would have been a different story if they were arrested marching to or from court, but these were arrested while prayers were going on!!

Mola Njoh Litumbe under House Arrest..Again!

The elderly octogenarian, Mola Njoh Litumbe, was held under house arrest for 24 hours at his Bokwango Buea residence. This is the same scenario that obtained last October 1, 2011 when troops surrounded his residence, while many activists and this reporter took refuge at the Nigerian consulate, with many more arrested and detained at the police station.It should be noted that the detention was done this time closest to the Prime Minister's Lodge!!! Coincidence?

 

Herewith are names of all who were arrested in the Church house on october1, 2012:

Nfor Ngala Nfor; Sylvester Taku; Tabuh Samuel N.; Ndifor Hans Mokundu; Ndung Emmanuel Dze; Chekuru Lawrence Awa; Mongo Steven Tangwan; Moses Komban; John Ayaba; Ngang Stephen; Charles Nkwenti; Stephen Takwi; Atoh Henry; Che Fonto Moses; Ignatius Fuh; Neba Elias; Mary Tawah; Ndam Ahmadou; Bongyong Edwin Bongayi; Nyuisens Lawrence; Dzeni Augustine Shiyntum; Benedict Lavjwin; Fonyuy Francis Tanlaka; Lon Veronica; Yakobu Kisi; Sumnso Abubakar; Mary Kininla; Jaffe Salle; Mbongong Sebastien Wiylika; Shey Gerald Andzea; Sylvester Nyengka; Ngwan Patrick; Alice Fomonyuy; Joseph Sunjon Kiven; Konru Monica; Mbum Celine; Njodzeka Bertrand; Wirsiy Amenu Kanjo; Michael Menkeh Mbong; Kume Emmanuel; Frida Yakwan; Tatuh Denis Tiafack; Tsotamac Mathias; Nsotah Michael; Tendongmo Paris N.; Lngtsa Johnas; Shey Henry Nfor; Nforbaa Patrick Nkambe; Henry Nshukwi; Shey Bakilam; Nfor Laisin Jude; sack Karawa; Ali Oscar Talla; Kimbi Mbanwe Tobias; John Mbukwe; Njeta Christopher; Susung Gerald Nko; Kang Andrew; Tanyi Augustine Aaba; Ngendoh Francis; Bah Johnson; Agonu Joseph; Susung Gerald; Encho Classinda; Offon Peter Kube; Yuh Tim Smith; Ajugudin Evaristus; Offon Mispah; Ajugudin Amedin; Tabe Marcel; Ann Rita Mbi; Simon Fuh Ngwa; Evg Ngwa Aaron Ndeh; Dickson Ndip Olu; Mosongo Zachene Mesodi; Nanjembe Daniel; Ngwa Raphael; Apah Stephen; Henry Lamnyam…

Names of the two journalists arrested along with these are: Baature Edua Mvochou, Editor of the African Drum Newspaper based in Jos, Nigeria. He had come to Cameroon to investigate the Southern Cameroons issue, and had expressed a strong desire to be part of either the Biya "Reunification celebrations" or the Southern Cameroons "Commemoration". The other colleague was Martin Fon Yembe, Publisher/Editor of The Frontier Telegraph newspaper, Vice President of Commonwealth Journalists Association-Cameroon, Vice President of Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists ( CAMASEJ), Bamenda branch and Executive Director of Global Information Network ( GLOBINET), a human rights communication advocacy outfit.