It has now been 31 days since the Divisional Officer (DO) of Idabato, Ewane Roland, and the Stores Accountant of Idabato Council, Etongo Ismaiel, were kidnapped in a nighttime raid by armed pirates suspected to be from Nigeria.
An ultimatum issued by South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, and diplomatic talks he held with the Nigerian Consul General in Buea have been unfruitful.
But the kidnappers seem to have grown bold and have demanded a fabulous ransom of over FCFA 1 billion.
For weeks now, Cameroonians have been left in the dark and the government is not communicating the efforts being made secure their release.
This isn’t an isolated kidnapping case but a disturbing trend where kidnapped local officials and ordinary citizens are left vulnerable, without decisive government action.
Tragic Case of Ndian Delegates
The case of the Ndian delegates in 2021 is a chilling reminder.
Six divisional delegates were kidnapped in Ekondo-Titi, Ndian Division, by armed separatist fighters while on an official mission.
Days later, one of the delegates, Mabia Johnson, was brutally murdered, while the fate of five remained unknown for months.
Families were left clueless, only worsened by the government’s prolonged silence and perceived inaction.
Even as demands for a billion franc CFA ransom surfaced, the government remained elusive, sparking criticism and fear that these civil servants’ lives were disposable.
While the kidnapping of foreign nationals like Tunisian and Chinese workers has received swift responses and international cooperation, the same urgency seems to vanish when the victims are Cameroonian, especially those from the Anglophone regions.
The abduction of Roland and Ismaiel now adds to the long list of Cameroonians failed by a government that appears to show up selectively.
From the 2018 assassination of Batibo’s Divisional Officer, Marcel Namata Diteng, to the murder of Regional Delegate Animbom Aaron Akiabom, these cases reflect a disturbing pattern of neglect toward local officials in conflict zones.
Cameroonians say they deserve a government that prioritizes their safety and dignity above all else.
They want this silence broken, not only with words but with urgent, transparent action.