On Monday hundreds of students were rounded up from their homes and taken to the Checkpoint stadium in Molyko, Buea by the forces of law and order.
After several hours of profiling them, collecting signatures, passport size photos and names, they were set free.
Based on the context of the Anglophone Crisis, many speculate that government seeks to use the students identities for non genuine reasons.
“It was to sign that Anglophones should not get separated… It is like a petition that Anglophones should not separate with Francophones and that is the notice behind the arrests and information” a resident suggests.
Administrative and local authorities have remained silent over the claims, raising suspicions even further.
Random arrests on Mondays observed as ghost towns in the country’s English Speaking regions have almost become a norm with the forces of law and order providing no rationale for the arrests but often demanding financial compensation for release.
MMI