Human rights lawyers match words with action: Drag Moja Moja to military court for kidnapping, abuse of power, torture

Moja Moja as he is popularly known, has been dragged to the military court in Yaounde by seven lawyers and other Human Rights Defenders.

The lawyers include TAMFU NGARKA Tristel Richard, Nicodemus AMUNGWA TANYI, Edward LYONGA EWULE, Valentine ANYE NJI, MELO ILIASU PEGAMAH, NJONG Henry TITA, TAWAH ELECTHA BIH.

In a complaint submitted to the court, they accuse Chief Ewome Ekobo John of Bwassa village in the South West Region, of a range of crimes including torture, abuse of power, and kidnapping.

“It emerges from the preamble to the Constitution of Cameroon that ‘the Cameroonian people affirm their attachment to the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations, the African Charter of Human Rights and Peoples,” the lawyers stated in their complaint.

Recalling that the texts spell out the equality of all citizens in rights and in duty, they added: “… it is inconceivable that a soldier acts under the rule of the Cameroonian Army to commit atrocious acts against the citizens he is called upon to protect while remaining unpunished.”

“In a state of law, each citizen is required to meticulously respect the law regardless of their social status, or even their ethnic or religious affiliation,” they went on.

The complaint comes after multiple videos of the said soldier and chief emerged depicting him meting out various forms of torture on civilians.

Most of those he often targets are of the North West region residing in Buea, a population he has often asked to return to their areas of origin.

In this light, the lawyers’ request calls on the authorities to “… open an investigation, have the accused EWOME EKOBO John alias Chief Moja Moja and his accomplices arrested… so that they answer for their actions.”

Impunity or planned action?

In Multiple videos, Moja Moja has been spotted torturing citizens. Kicking them into his car boot, shaving their hair with razors for being North Westerners, dragging them on the streets half-naked, and harassing/arresting family members of suspected separatist fighters.

These, he laces with xenophobic utterances.

Since Moja Moja’s actions began making waves on social media, many people expected the government to call him to order. Surprisingly, even the Prime Minister appeared to congratulate him ‘for the work done.’

This leaves many wondering if he acts out of his own volition, or is simply a small part of a bigger mission to ignite squabbles between those of North West and South West origins.

(C) Mimi Mefo Info Exclusive