The principal of Christ the King College located in Nkwen Bamenda has been released from captivity. A message widely shared across social media platforms, reportedly to have come from the principal himself, states that “Dear brethren, I was abducted from my office as principal of Christ the King yesterday morning. Thank God I finally came back late last night.”
Armed men kidnapped the principal of Christ the King, a lay private secondary and high school in the Cow Street neighbourhood of Nkwen, on Tuesday around midday, November 12, 2024.
Eyewitnesses report that the assailants arrived at the school on motorcycles and held the gatekeeper at gunpoint, forcing him to lead them to the principal’s office. Someone forcibly took the principal from the premises and whisked them away on a motorcycle to an unknown destination. The principal has been released, but no separatist group claims responsibility for the abduction.
This incident follows another kidnapping reported just last week, when armed men kidnapped the principal of St. Paul College Nkwen on November 10th, and the principal of Government Technical High School Nkwen faced a similar situation a few weeks ago.
The targeting of educational institutions has raised serious concerns among local communities who view these acts as a violation of the rights of both educators and students, threatening the safety and accessibility of education.
The ongoing armed conflict in these regions has seen a significant increase in violence, kidnappings, and disruptions to education, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Since the teachers and lawyers protest escalated into an armed conflict, kidnappings for ransom has gradually become the other of the day, with separatist using it as a method of fund raising to fund the conflict.
