Douala: residents stranded as business tycoon allegedly violates court decision, destroys homes

Several families in Bojongo, Bonaberi in Douala have spent another night in the open after their homes were demolished days back by a business tycoon.

Kandem Diedonne says he owns the land where the houses were constructed, a claim some occupants of the houses have vehemently denied.

The administrative court, the occupants add, had suspended the businessman’s land title, making work on the land illegal.

“They were not allowed to do what they did… The administrative court had already suspended the effects of their land title. Normally, our homes could not be broken as long as the effects of the land title were suspended” one of the home owners tells MMI, brandishing a document to the effect.

They however worry over the silence of administrative authorities who seem to have turned a blind eye to their plight.

“We have blocked them so he (the business magnet) starts to use other means to hit us. This is why we started writing to the administration to help us. The administration never reacted” he adds, providing the correspondences of letters addressed to administrative authorities.

They would later proceed to a judge who provided a court order blocking work on the land; “this is the decision we got from Supreme Court to kick out some of the people whose names are on the decision” he tells us.

“You see what we wrote, hoping that the Attorney General will stop the operations but nothing has been done” he laments.

Contrary to expectations, authorities have been aiding the tycoon as he demolishes houses in the area. A week ago, residents woke up to a heavy presence of security forces meant to restrict anyone from interrupting the demolition process.

While some residents of the Bojongo locality have managed to get temporary shelter in other parts of the town, many others have not been so lucky and have been forced to stay in the open.

Mimi Mefo Info