Separatists fighters active in Njinikom have restricted the movement of bike riders in the subdivision. This follows a military ambush recently that claimed the lives of two fighters, one of them a Nigerian mercenary fighting with the Ambazonia fighters in the area.
Separatist fighters have blamed the population of Njinikom for activating intelligence by cooperating with the military, leaking their movement details thereby causing several casualties on them.
According to the separatist ban, bikes are not supposed to circulate in the subdivision for an infinite time period. According to the fighters, its punishment to the people for working with the military.
Locals who are traveling to and from Bamenda are now forced to trek to the makeshift park at Total Njinikom to board a car to Bamenda or to their respective homes and quarters.
According to Tung Siviline, a native of Njinikom, the ban is the most stupid thing she has seen.
“How can you suffer casualties and turn to the population for revenge. Do we have guns? It’s their place to build their own intelligence and go for their targets. My husband depends on his bike to feed us. What are we going to eat now?” She retorted.
Another resident from Tinifoinbi, Ntum Stanley, says the ban on motor bikes is as senseless as the separatists are rather making themselves vulnerable.
“I can trek but what of them. They all move on motorcycles. By asking others to park theirs, the military will instead shoot or ambush them easily because they will be isolated,” he said.
Njinikom people are now thorn between fighting for peace and braving threats from separatists.