Shops close and residents flee the streets after shootings reported around Nkwen, Ntarinkon, and the Food Market.
Gunfire has brought parts of Bamenda to a standstill, forcing traders, motorists, and residents off the streets as suspected Ambazonia fighters intensify enforcement of an ongoing lockdown.
Sporadic shots were heard Tuesday, September 15, 2026, around the Bamenda Food Market, Ntarinkon, and parts of Nkwen, prompting shops, businesses, and some public and private institutions to close.
The development comes just a day after three people were ambushed and killed by suspected Ambazonia fighters at a drinking spot behind PMI in Nkwen, Bamenda III Subdivision.
Local sources say the latest shootings are linked to efforts to enforce the second week of a two-week lockdown imposed in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions.
The lockdown began on September 7 and is expected, according to the same sources, to run through September 22 if the measures remain effective.
Residents tried to defy the restrictions early Tuesday, driven by worsening economic hardship from repeated lockdowns. But the renewed gunfire quickly sent many back indoors.
With businesses shuttered and motorists abandoning the roads, several parts of Bamenda were left unusually quiet.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
