The recent killing of Ngenwie Emmanuella, an orphan single mother residing in Mbessi, Mile 4 Nkwen Bamenda, has been attributed to notorious kidnappers affiliated with a separatist camp in Bafut.
After a thorough investigation, MMI has learned that the armed separatist fighters involved in Ngenwie Emmanuella’s death are known for their criminal activities in the area, operating under the pseudonyms ‘Spiritus’ and ‘Bebi.’ The gang members have reportedly been terrorizing the neighborhood with a series of kidnappings for ransom.
The killing of Ngenwie Emmanuella on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, has been described as part of a broader pattern of violence by these kidnappers. “I can tell you that since last Friday, Mbessi junction Mile 4 to be precise, has known no peace,” a close source at the scene of the atrocity told MMI.
The source also explained that the violence began earlier this the week. “Last Saturday night, a teacher and a photographer were kidnapped at gunpoint at about 6 p.m. The teacher was released the very night. Later today (Tuesday, July 23), the photographer was released,” the source said.
Following these kidnappings, the separatist fighters “stormed the residence of a certain business dealer who does wholesale in brasserie products,” the source added. “The thugs used guns to force open the main gate. Then they violently attacked the apartment of a tenant within the compound, asking where the woman who sells brasseries was.”
During this attack, two men found in the compound were taken away. “It was within this operation that Emmanuella was killed at Nibung public tap, about a hundred meters from Mbessi junction,” the source said. “When we heard the sound of the gun that took the life of Emmanuella, we thought the military was around,” he added.
The separatists fled the scene after committing the crime, leaving the neighborhood in disarray. Mbessi junction is located near a military camp and a gendarmerie brigade, raising concerns about the effectiveness of security in the area.
“Mbessi junction is now a Baghdad. Kidnappings and killings occur every day, yet there is a military camp, a gendarmerie post, and a police station not far from there,” the source noted.
It should be noted that the commander of the gendarmerie brigade was shot dead at Mbessi junction a few months ago, highlighting ongoing security challenges in the region.
