PREGNANT WOMAN KILLED IN BATIBO ON HER WAY TO CHURCH

A pregnant woman was shot to death on 11th March, 2018 Sunday morning in Batibo, Northwest region of Cameroon.The 23-years-old 5 months pregnant Temban Mireille was pronounced dead by midday in Kuruku village, Batibo, according to witnesses. She suffered a couple of gunshot wounds before passing away.

Gina spoke with Aben Fidelis, the woman’s brother-in-law who is seeking refuge in a forest in Batibo with five of his kids and he disclosed that Mireille was on her way to church with some other villagers before the unfortunate incident.

“She saw the men in uniform approaching them with guns and she was terrified, she began running and was shot. A young boy who was at the scene was brutalized and his legs were broken, he is receiving treatment,” Aben informed.

Gina Informs could not talk with the woman’s husband, Temban Aaron, because he was still in shock. His brother disclosed that the loss was a huge one not for him alone but the entire family because his 29-year-old brother who is epileptic is left with 4 kids to look after, with his wife, who was his caretaker gone.

Military Raids in Batibo

On February 11 2018 the Divisional officer for Batibo Sub division Namata Joseph Diteng was abducted by unidentified gun men, his whereabout is not known till date. Eye witness account holds that upon arrival, gun men, masked and dressed in military uniforms took the DO at gun point and escaped in his car. The carcass of the burnt car was later on discovered in a nearby village of Kuruku, and that is when the village got involved.

On the February 13 Tana who resides in Bessi Awum village, in Batibo told Gina Informs that they were living in fear, the streets were very empty, few private cars could be seen plying the roads and motorbikes could be seen only in areas where the military was absent.

He added that those who were living along the major street in Batibo had fled to the neighboring villages. His neighbor is hosting a family that came in from a Kuruku Village.

The first military raid in Kuruku began during this period, during which a lot of private property was destroyed and individuals had to rush into the bushes because of fear. After sometime they retuned back to the village, when the raids stopped, but the incident today took everyone by surprise and they had to flee again.

This evening Aben Fidelis a father of 7 was actually talking on phone from a forest, where he seeking refuge with 5 of his kids, he does not know where his wife is, but he hopes the other 2 kids are with her. He disclosed that even breastfeeding mothers are in the forest, with their babies.

“So many of us have returned again to the forest to seek refuge, without matrasses we will sleep on the ground. Some people got ill after the first military raid, most of them have malaria, but then, they have returned too because they are afraid if they remain in the Integrated Health Center they will be exposed to danger. It has been raining in our village but we cannot return because our lives are in danger,” Aben explained.

Military raids have been going on in several other villages too in Cameroon, and most of them usually follow the killing of men in uniform. Unfortunately, those who pay for it are innocent civilians who might have had nothing to do with it. Just like Kuruku, Kwakwa among others, they are victims of a socio-political crisis in the anglophone regions in Cameroon, which the government has responded to by heavy militarization.

On February 10, the head of state, Paul Biya addressed the youths, during his address he said the whole situation was under control and things were getting back to normal but with the recent killings of men in uniform and civilians, one has to conclude that the crisis in the anglophone regions is gathering momentum and spreading.

Culled from Whatsapp Communications