By Mbah Godlove l BaretaNews
A physically challenged business operator has been killed by gunfire in Bambili, in what locals say was likely a stray bullet during clashes linked to the ongoing war in Ambazonia. The victim, identified simply as Roland, earned a living operating a call box business — a modest trade that many ordinary citizens rely on to survive amid the worsening conflict.
According to local reports gathered Thursday, Roland was seated at his small phone booth at the busy Three Corners junction in the evening hours when sudden gunfire erupted in the area. Witnesses say the shots triggered panic, forcing residents and traders to flee for safety. But Roland, whose mobility was severely limited due to a physical disability, could not escape the danger. He remained seated at his business spot when the fatal bullet struck.
Residents say the exact source of the gunfire remains unclear. However, many believe the shot may have come from exchanges between Ambazonian resistance fighters and troops of the Yaoundé colonial regime who frequently carry out operations in the area. In the chaos that often accompanies such confrontations, civilians continue to pay the highest price.
Those who knew Roland describe him as a determined and resilient man who refused to allow his disability to define his life. Every day he set up his call box business at the roadside, determined to earn an honest living and provide for his family despite the harsh realities of a war-torn homeland.
“Roland was a fighter,” a local resident said. “Even with his condition, he worked harder than many able-bodied people. Every evening he came out to struggle for his daily bread.”
Tragically, the evening he left home for work would be his last.
Roland’s death adds to the growing list of vulnerable civilians — including persons living with disabilities — whose lives have been cut short by bullets in the decade-long conflict ravaging Ambazonia. Human rights observers say the continued militarization of civilian communities has turned marketplaces, roadsides, and villages into deadly zones where ordinary people simply trying to survive are caught in the crossfire.
For many in Bambili and across the Northern Zone, Roland’s killing is yet another painful reminder that in this protracted conflict, the weak, the poor, and the defenseless remain the most exposed victims.
