By Tata Mbunwe
The family of Bih Vivian, a widow and vegetable seller at the Bamenda Food Market, is reeling from her death after she was fatally shot in Mbattu, located on the city’s outskirts, on Sunday.
Family members accused the Cameroon military of the killing.
Mama Bih, a mother of four from Nsongwa village near Bamenda, was among three victims of the September 1 shooting in Mbattu, Bamenda II Subdivision.
A bike rider named Pancho also died, while one passenger survived and is receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The bike rider was transporting Mama Bih and another woman from Mbattu to Bamenda when they were reportedly stopped and killed by attackers wearing military gear.
A family member, speaking anonymously to Bamenda-based Star TV, said the attackers accused the victims of hiding guns before opening fire.
Earlier that day, Mama Bih is reported to have been attending a funeral in Mbattu and then stopped at the market square for a ‘njangi’ meeting that extended into the night.
She then left with bike riders Pancho and another passenger intending to reach home in Bamenda that night. But they never made it.
“Immediately after leaving the market, they didn’t know the military was already waiting for them,” a family member recounted.
“As the bike approached, someone alerted the military, who stopped them, accused them of having guns, and then opened fire. Two died on the spot, while one person was hospitalized. After the shooting, they took their phones and a bag belonging to the bike rider before driving off.”
The victims’ bodies were discovered Monday morning. While the attackers’ identities remain unclear, Mbattu residents believe the Cameroon military was behind the attack.
Both the military and Ambazonia separatist fighters have been implicated in executing civilians during the ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, which has claimed thousands of lives since 2016.
The Mbattu killings devastated family members of the victims, who have been demanding justice and accountability for their deaths.
The bike rider reportedly left behind a pregnant wife who has remained inconsolable since his passing.
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