Mezam SDO opens investigations into killing of biker, books meeting with riders

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Mezam Division of the Northwest, Mooh Emile Simon, has said investigations have been opened into the killing of a motorcycle rider in Bamenda by a military vehicle on Wednesday April 12th, 2023.

He made the statement as he addressed protesting bike riders at Up Station, Bamenda, on Wednesday afternoon, after a vehicle belonging to Cameroon’s defence forces knocked down a bike, killing the rider on the spot and a female occupant.

The SDO also told the protesters to select five persons among them for a meeting on Thursday, April 13.

Although the riders said they were ready to talk with administration, they were not convinced that investigations into the killing of their colleague had been opened as the SDO claimed.

“I don’t want to start counting the number of investigations that have been opened with no results at the end,” an inhabitant of Bamenda could be heard murmuring after the SDO’s statement.

“Since we can’t say who was driving the vehicle, it will just end there and noting will happen. If they are serious, they should start by giving the names of those that were in the vehicle,” he added.

Many are now waiting to hear what will filter from Thursday’s meeting between representatives of commercial bike riders and the the Northwest administration.

The bikers said they will want to discuss the repeated killing of civilians by military vehicles in Bamenda, as well as harassment of bike riders by uniformed officers.

By Soulemanu Buba