Anglophone Crisis: After separatist attack on population, military burn down houses, loot shops in Big Babanki

By David Atangana

At least five houses have been burnt and a number of shops looted by Cameroon soldiers in Big Babanki, a village in the Tubah subdivision, Mezam division of the restive North West Region.

The Cameroon military stormed the village on Friday, May 26, 2023, with the objective of finding Ambazonia separatist fighters who kidnapped about 30 women a few days ago.

The Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Mezam, Simon Emile Mooh had in a press release said the perpetrators would be found and prosecuted

Locals who spoke to MMI say the soldiers rather turned against the population perpetrating more atrocities:

“The military came to our village and started firing gunshots while trying to unblock the roads and in the course of doing that, they were burning houses. For now, I know of about five houses that have been burnt down and about three stores which they broke into and carried stuff away,” an eyewitness told MMI

One of the business persons who watched his store looted said, “I watched them break my provision shop as I was hiding on a hill. No one could do anything”

“Their cars were parked all along the street,” he went on adding, “Presently there are heavy gunshots”

Sources also revealed that the women kidnapped by the separatists have been released.

“They have all been released. My aunt was a victim,” another source said.

It is not known whether the women were rescued by the invading soldiers or freed voluntarily by the fighters after public outcry.