Visitors to Buea Central Prison face a frustrating, costly ordeal that deepens the distress of seeing their incarcerated loved ones. Beyond the emotional toll, a coordinated system of extortion appears entrenched, where visitors are required to pay fees at nearly every step. From the entrance to the visitation hall, prison warders’ relentless demands strip visitors of dignity and hard-earned money.
Mask or Money: Entrance Fees at the Gate
From the outset, entering Buea Central Prison comes at a cost. At the main gate, visitors must either wear a face mask or pay 1,000 Francs. While this requirement is presented as a COVID-19 safety measure, it feels less like a health protocol and more like an unwelcome introduction to an exploitative process.
“We understand the need for safety measures,” shared one exasperated visitor, “but this just feels like another way to take money from people who are already struggling.”
“Goodwill Pleas” or Thinly Veiled Demands?
As visitors move further inside, they encounter a series of checks, particularly at the narrow entrance leading to the visitation hall. Here, warders search bags thoroughly, especially those containing items for inmates. What begins as a routine security check often morphs into a request for donations disguised as a “goodwill plea.”
“He begged so passionately that I couldn’t refuse,” one visitor admitted, “even though I knew it wasn’t mandatory.”
Fees Pile Up in the Visitation Hall
Once inside the hall, the demands intensify. Warders confiscate visitors’ ID cards and require a 1,000 Franc fee for “cleaning” the hall. Each individual must pay this fee, so families find themselves shelling out considerable sums. As they reach the barricade to see their inmate, visitors encounter further demands, often between 500 and 2,000 Francs, to have their names relayed by “runway prisoners” who act as intermediaries.
“If you want to sit down, you better be ready to pay at least 2,000 Francs,” explained one visitor. “Otherwise, you’ll stand for the entire visit.”
Price for Time: Bribes for Extended Visits
Time with loved ones comes at a steep price in Buea Central Prison. Warders charge between 1,000 and 5,000 Francs for any visit that exceeds the basic ten-minute allotment. Warders apply these fees at their discretion, creating a system where extended visitation requires constant payouts.
Extortion Reaches Inmates Inside
These exploitative practices affect inmates as well. Warders allegedly demand money from prisoners in exchange for favorable treatment, enforcing a pay-to-survive culture within the prison walls.
“It’s a system where you have to buy your way out of everything,” explained a former inmate. “If you don’t pay, you suffer.”
A Burden Too Heavy for the Poor
The prison houses inmates from diverse backgrounds, but visitors from low-income areas, especially those from remote parts of the Southwest region, bear the brunt of these demands. For many families, these payments are not a minor inconvenience; they are a significant financial hardship.
Local advocacy group MMI has highlighted these abuses and their disproportionate impact on those struggling financially.
“These warders are exploiting the vulnerability of visitors, many of whom can barely make ends meet,” George Atmkeng, a frequent visitor, told MMI. “This is not just extortion; it’s taking advantage of those in desperate situations.”
Calls for Accountability
The Superintendent of Buea Central Prison, Mikondo Ndingue Simon-Pierre, faces urgent calls to address these issues. The primary role of prison warders should be ensuring security and enabling communication between inmates and their families—not profiting from their vulnerability. The pervasive extortion not only breaches ethical standards but also magnifies the suffering of both inmates and their loved ones, who deserve respect and compassion in a challenging environment.
