The Divisional Delegate of Basic Education for Menchum, Ndong Gilbert, has spent his second night in separatists’ captivity.
Ndong had been living in Wey while working in Wum, the divisional headquarters, at the time the separatists whisked him off.
The kidnappers reportedly removed him from his house on the night of April 5, 2025, and took him to an unknown destination.
“We heard gunshots at night and took cover. It was only in the morning that we learnt that the administrator was kidnapped by separatists,” said a Wey resident, who preferred to remain anonymous.
Local sources say a notorious separatist fighter known as “General Ebube” and his gang orchestrated the kidnapping.
Meanwhile, the group is reportedly demanding a ransom of FCFA 10 million for the release of the government official.
Sources familiar with the situation allege that some commercial bike riders in Weh village, Menchum are collaborating with the kidnappers.
These allegations have further intensified concerns and outrage among locals, with some community members promising to expose those aiding the separatists.
As of the time of this publication, the administration was yet to publicly react to the delegate’s kidnapping.
The abduction of Mr. Ndong Gilbert further adds to a growing list of attacks targeting civil servants in the restive Anglophone regions, where armed groups continue to disrupt education and public administration in pursuit of separation.
