The State Counsel for the Meme High Court and Kumba Court of First Instance, Justice Mbuagbaw Esongmbi Peter, says the suspect in the killing of Eyong Ashu Christy has been arrested and is currently facing judicial proceedings.
The clarification follows a report by MMI News on Saturday questioning the apparent lack of visible progress in the pursuit of justice for Christy, a young nursing student who was allegedly killed in Kumba in June.
In a response received by MMI News on Sunday, October 5, Justice Mbuagbaw said investigations into the case were opened immediately after a complaint was filed by Christy’s father, Eyong Daniel Taku, against the main suspect, Ayuk Clinton Tabot, over an alleged killing on June 26.
According to the State Counsel, investigations were opened by the Gendarmerie Brigade in Mabanda, Kumba.
He said that before his arrest, Ayuk Clinton Tabot attempted suicide by ingesting a toxic substance and was subsequently hospitalised under guard arranged by the Legal Department through the penitentiary service at the Regional Hospital Annex in Kumba.
He was later transferred to the infirmary of Kumba Principal Prison as investigations continued, Justice Mbuagbaw said.
The case file was presented to the Legal Department on July 6.
Justice Mbuagbaw also said Christy’s father was authorised to transfer her remains from the Kumba Regional Hospital mortuary to the Mamfe mortuary, which was closer to her village. She was buried on July 23.
On September 3, Ayuk Clinton Tabot was produced before the Legal Department, where a holding charge preferred against him was registered in court.
He is now before the Examining Magistrate of the Meme High Court for a preliminary inquiry, according to the State Counsel.
“These facts answer the publication’s central questions: the defendant’s identity is known, he was placed in custody, a case file was compiled, and judicial proceedings were duly instituted,” Justice Mbuagbaw said.
He stressed that the absence of public updates should not be interpreted as inaction by the Legal Department.
“The case has neither disappeared nor been abandoned. An absence of public updates cannot therefore responsibly be turned into an insinuation that the Legal Department have failed to act,” he said.
Justice Mbuagbaw explained that investigations and Legal Department files are subject to confidentiality, adding that public briefings may be provided where public concern warrants, within the limits of lawful disclosure.
Who Was Eyong Ashu Christy?
Christy was a nursing student at Biaka University Institute in Buea and a daughter of Kesham in Manyu Division.
According to an earlier report by MMI News, based on information provided by her family and community members, she had travelled to Kumba to see her partner when she was attacked in late June.
She sustained fatal stab wounds and later died from her injuries.
Those who knew her described her as a quiet and devoted young woman and the daughter of an Apostolic Church pastor. She had reportedly completed her studies and was preparing for the next stage of her life when she died.
The criminal proceedings against Ayuk Clinton Tabot remain ongoing, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a competent court.