Cameroon: Population Accuses Government Forces Of Robbing Filling Station In Bamenda

The population of Nkwen, Bamenda III Subdivision, Northwest region of Cameroon has accused government forces of robbing a filling station around St. Paul Junction.

The incident that happened at about 8 pm on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, saw many including passersby, taxi drivers, and their passengers losing huge sums of money and other valuables like mobile phones to the gunmen.

Talking to MMI, an eyewitness, Nkengfack narrates what he saw and whom he thinks carried out the attack.

“They came in a RAF4 vehicle that looks like the one government forces have been using to arrest young boys in the quarters, especially at night.

Their pidgin too was not like what we speak here, from every indication they were not from this part of the country,” he said.

Another said: “Those in the other vehicle they came with had been there before the other one drove into the filling station and started firing guns in the air. They were speaking mostly French, some even bought items from those ladies selling at St. Paul’s Junction. Little did we know they were armed robbers.”

A cab driver who only wanted to be identified as Chi said he abandoned his car and dashed into the quarters when he heard gunshots. He said:
“The gunmen took their time as if they knew no one was going to come for them. They were there for 30minutes and above firing guns in the air, yet there was no intervention from the forces. Only government soldiers can have the courage to do what they did.

There was no intervention by the forces of law and order even though they were alerted. They did not come and still haven’t come, said a source close to the filling station at about 8 am Thursday morning, hours after the incident.

It is not clear if anyone was wounded or killed in the incident.

There were some material damages especially on vehicles that were there to either pack or get fuel.