Pregnant Woman Dies From Military Gunfire in Bamenda

By Zera Nambu

A pregnant woman identified as Sheila Nemu Garbi died at a hospital in Bamenda, North West, after she was shot this August 19 by the military.

Both the woman and her unborn twins died following the shooting which occurred near the St. Maria Soledad Catholic Hospital of Ntarikon, in Bamenda II.

Sources at the hospital reported that the woman, believed to be in her 30s, arrived with a gunshot wound to the back and died minutes later.

Reports indicate she was traveling in a taxi that had allegedly failed to stop at an army checkpoint.

MMI learned a taxi carrying the woman drove through a military checkpoint and failed to stop as the woman reportedly screamed.

Soldiers fired at the taxi, which crashed meters away. The driver was repeatedly shot and killed as he attempted to flee.

Those familiar with the incident suggest the woman was being abducted. She had reportedly been forced into the vehicle before the driver sped off, being chased by some bikes.

Authorities have yet to make an official statement on the incident, which adds to a series of deadly shootings that have plagued Bamenda since the onset of the Anglophone conflict.

However, the death of a pregnant woman in such circumstances has drawn sympathy and criticisms from city dwellers about the conduct of soldiers towards suspects.

Many think the tragedy could have been averted.