Government reacts to school attacks in NW, SW, blames Separatists

Government has reacted through the Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi to separate attacks on schools in Mankon, Kumbo and Limbe.

The schools in question are include Longla Comprehensive College- Mankon; Presbyterian School Kumbo; and Kulu Memorial College Limbe.

In a statement on the school attacks, the minister said separatists aboard motorbikes broke into the Longla Comprehensive College-Mankon at about 9am November 3, 2020 armed with AK47’s with which they opened fire, scaring students and teachers of the school.

“The outlaws opened fire at the school premise before fleeing away from the scene after spotting a patrol vehicle of the operation clean Bamenda team” Emmanuel Sadi said in the statement.

The attacks sent shockwaves around Mankon, resulting to total panic from the students and teachers of the school as well as parents rushing to rescue their children from harm’s way.

On the same day, separatists equally broke into the Presbyterian School Kumbo, abducting a total of six teachers of the institution and ten pupils according to Communication Minister.

The minister also noted that it was thanks to the timely intervention of the head of the school, Rev Pastor Kwahnyuy Venansius who was able to mobilize over 50 parents and faithful who stormed the Meluf site, one of the separatist stronghold to secure the release of the 10 pupils abducted.

It is however important to note that Communication Minister’s version is quite different from that of the PCC Moderator, Right Rev. Fonki Samuel who revealed that the gunmen carted away 11 teachers while dispersing the pupils back to their homes unhurt.

In a couple of weeks that have all proven dark for the school communities in the anglophone regions, another attack was equally recorded in Limbe at the Kulu Memorial College by gunmen who revealed themselves as ‘the Omega Squad’. These unscrupulous individuals had the students and teachers of the institution strip naked after which they were chased out of the school while setting some of the classrooms on fire. Minister René Emmanuel Sadi noted that “Apart from the consternation caused during the attack, no major injuries nor deaths were recorded”.
In all three attacks, it is however meticulously noticed the lack of security forces as was promised by the government. The minister failed to address this lack of security around these school campuses. This could be a clear indication that the government unlike earlier promised is not up to the task of enforcing an effective and secured environment for the return of educational activities in the anglophone regions, putting once more a normal return to schools in the Northwest and the Southwest region into serious jeopardy.