Over 40 men, women and youths have been arrested by the colonial forces of la republique du Cameroun (LRC). In somewhat a déjà vu scenario, the frustrated forces once again, invaded people’s house in Mile 16 Bolifamba, Buea. At around 4:30am, Tuesday December 12, 2017, a mix patrol made up of paramilitary and police, forced their way into people’s houses, demanding LRC ID cards and also carrying out household search.

According to Hermine Oman, a resident of Glass House Cite, Mile 16, she could as early as 4:30 am see (from her two storey tall building), men in dirty blue and green uniform speaking in French and breaking into people houses.

“I work very early to prepare for work when I spotted some men dressed in dirty blue and green uniforms were forcing their way into people houses. They were speaking in French, asking people to present their ID cards. I saw how a group of people were forced to sit on the floor. That was the moment I went back in and closed my doors,” Hermine said.

The colonial forces who have been making raids in rounds at the Mile 16 neighbourhood, confiscated people’s properties and even forcing some to lie on the ground. According to Theodore Mwambo, the trigger-happy soldiers forced him like others out of his house and taken to the mile 16 field. He was only released after 8:00am upon the payment of 20,000frs.

“I was forced out of my bed by a loud bang on my door. When I opened the door at around 5:30am, the police officer asked me to show my ID card. In the course of going to bring my ID card, he quickly grabbed me by my cloth and forced me outside, requesting me to join the others at the mile 16 field. After spending close to 3 hours there, my wife finally brought my ID card, but then, I still had to pay 20,000frs to be released,” Theordore said.

Those arrested and not able to fulfill their financial obligations, were cuffed and taken to the Molyko police station, where they will be detained until they are fit to pay some ransomed before being released.

It should be noted that it has become a routine event for forces of LRC to invade people’s houses in Southern Cameroons and start demanding for ransoms before they are released. Arbitrary arrests have become tripled in Buea, Limbe, Tiko and Kumba as the forces make exorbitant gains from these exploits.

Nevertheless, the people of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia remain resolute and optimistic that someday, all these colonial exploitation will end. According to many who talked with BaretaNews, they shall not be converted by the flesh molestation incurred by LRC.

By Lucas Muma,

Managing Editor-BaretaNews