Three Cameroonian women who disappeared in 2020 have not been seen, leaving their families worried about whether they are still alive. It is believed they might have been trafficked through Nigeria.
Malai Joseph Akem, a retired civil servant, is in distress as his two children and a family friend have gone missing for four years.
The last time he heard of his two daughters was in July 2020.
They are Akem Patience Frutzi, 38; Akem Redeem Nyangha, 28; and a friend of his daughter, Carine Nalova Ndumbe, 30.
How Did Grown-up Women Suddenly Disappear?
Carine Nalova Ndumbe was 26 at the time of her disappearance and was friends with Akem Redeem, who was 24 then. Carine was an orphan.
Carine and Redeem schooled and graduated from the University of Buea’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication together in 2016.
After university studies, they went to live with Akem Patience, who was 34 at the time.
Patience is Redeem’s older sister. Patience was working with P&T Credit Union in Buea.
In 2020, Carine reportedly cajoled Patience to steal FCFA 14 million from the credit union.
As a result, the credit union reported Patience and gendarmes arrested her.
Talking to us from his retirement home in Kom, North West Region, the father of the two girls, Malai Joseph Akem, said that after the money disappeared and his daughter was detained, he left Douala, where he was working at the time, and came to the Gendamarie in Buea.
After interrogation, Patience said she gave the money to Carine.
According to the father, Patience was released, and Carine was taken into custody.
Carine had said she took the money to buy a car and that she was working online with a company in Dubai.
“I left Buea and came to Douala. I don’t know what happened; I heard the Gendarmes later released Carine,” he said on the phone.
Where Are They?
July 2020 was the last time anyone heard or saw them.
According to the father, at the time of their disappearance, Carine had a Nextel number.
Recordings traced from the Nextel telephone company showed that she was communicating with a boy in Nigeria.
Joseph Akem said the boy used to play for a football club in Limbe.
“We contacted the boy and started asking questions. He freaked out and was not reachable any longer,” Mr Akem said.
It appears the three girls might have been trafficked.
After Four Years, Why Now?
The father told us that they never worried too much because they believed that the girls were going to reach out after some time.
But days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. They began to worry about the whereabouts of his daughters and started pleading with anyone who could provide information that would help find them.
Malai Joseph Akem and his wife don’t know whether their girls are still alive or not.
MMI checked the three missing Cameroonian women’s social media presence, and it shows that they were active only in 2020.
Even after they are missing, Joseph Akem is still paying back the FCFA 14 million his daughter stole from P&T Credit Union – the forces of law and order never recovered it.
Akem told us that he hired a lawyer who said he was going to get to the Cameroonian Embassy in Nigeria, but nothing has filtered since then.
It is a challenging time for the girls’ father, but he remains hopeful.
Online, classmates of the two journalism graduates are worried. They also hope someone would provide information that can lead to their whereabouts.
©Mimi Mefo Info – Three Cameroonian women
