Anglophone Crisis: Soldiers arrest over 60 at Ashong, reportedly demand 500k each for freedom

Over 60 young people in Ashong, a village in Batibo Sub-Division of the Northwest, have been arrested, MMI has gathered.

They were arrested by Cameroonian soldiers who stormed the village on Friday, April 7.

Locals say the military spent some days in the village in search of Separatist Fighters.

During the operation, they reportedly broke into houses and carted away valuables before arresting over 60 youths.

“It was breaking Friday morning when the military stormed our village and broke into people’s houses, looted, blindfolded our youths and took them away,” an Ashong inhabitant who insisted his identity should not be revealed told MMI.

Local sources say some of those arrested were taken to the Gendarmerie Brigade in Batibo, while others were taken to Bamenda.

“We do not know exactly where the military took them to but we are told some are kept at the gendarmerie in Batibo while others have been moved up to Bafut military camp in Bamenda,” another source told MMI.

The locals said the soldiers are asking each of them to pay 500,000 francs to secure their freedom.

Fear has gripped the village, as a majority have escaped into the bushes for safety.

“This has been going on for days, we observed Good Friday and celebrated Easter in fear,” said our source.

It should be noted that this is not the first time soldiers are carrying out a mass arrest at Ashong since the ongoing Anglophone Crisis started.

The village has repeatedly come under invasion of the military, leading to mass arrests and forced disappearances.

*Archive picture

By David Atangana