Kidnappers demand FCFA 10 million to free young student

Kidnappers are asking for a ransom of FCFA 10 million in exchange for the release of Kouakep Waoutou Hillary Dalia, a Form Two student of Collège Catholique Bilingue la Retraite in Yaoundé, her family has revealed.

“The kidnappers contacted me demanding a ransom of 10 million for her release. Please share so that I can find my daughter through the contact: 695149204,” the girl’s mother wrote.

Unknown thugs kidnapped the 11-year-old girl at about 1pm yesterday on her way back from school.

Yesterday afternoon, Dalia’s mother circulated a picture of her, appealing to the public to help her find her daughter.

“My daughter in the picture has just been kidnapped by the kidnappers after leaving school this afternoon,” she lamented.

The young girl’s kidnap and the demand for ransom continue to distress the family.

Also, social media users have been reacting to the incident, with some were disappointed that there was no security around the school where the young student was kidnapped.

“With all the security the town claims to have? Kidnap a student at 1 pm in front of the school of the children of Ministers and dignitaries of the regime? Hmm, that looks like a set-up!” Paul Nna, a Facebook user, said.

Nevertheless, other users sympathised with the young girl’s family. They hoped that she would be rescued and brought back home safely.

Incessant Insecurity

The incident is a microcosm of cases of kidnapping and forced disappearances recorded in Cameroon recently.

On average, MMI reports three cases of missing people every day. Their ages differ from adults to adolescents and children.

Most of those reported missing or kidnapped end up killed, tortured, or never found.

Security officers in Yaounde continue to arrest suspected vandals, kidnappers, and armed robbers on a daily basis. Yet, insecurity remains a major problem in the city.

On September 26, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, decried alarming rate of insecurity in Yaounde.

In August and September alone, he disclosed, the city recorded more than 700 assaults; 300 cases of rape and 110 diversion of routes.

In an attempt to curb insecurity and urban disorder, Atanga Nji obliged bike riders to obtain identification papers from the government before operating.

He said motorcycles play an important role in aiding some of the criminal acts in Yaounde.

Mimi Mefo Info