Early this morning, gunmen dressed in military garb abducted the principal of Government High School (GHS) Elak-Oku in the Bui Division of the North West Region.
According to information obtained from a source in Oku, the gunmen, appearing in military uniform, invaded the school campus at approximately 8:45 am.
Reports indicate that they fired gunshots upon arrival before forcibly taking the school’s principal into their custody.
“Some men went to his school this morning in military fatigue, and the general impression was that they were soldiers,” recounted the source.
“A student who went to ease herself discovered they were not soldiers and raised an alarm. The teachers and students on campus escaped. The principal, who then came to find out what was going on, was beaten and taken away,” the Oku native further explained.
As of now, the whereabouts of the abducted principal remains unknown, raising concerns about his safety and well-being.
The incident adds to a recent wave of attacks targeting educational institutions in the English-speaking Regions of Cameroon.
This incident closely follows the recent attack on Government Technical High School Esu in Menchum, North West, where separatist fighters burnt down a section and abducted eight students.
While the students were later released, two teachers abducted during the attack are yet to be freed.
The escalating attacks on education in the English-speaking Regions have become a cause for concern.
A report from the Center for Human Rights and Democracy for Africa (CHRDA) revealed that at least five teachers have lost their lives in the Anglophone Regions this year due to the ongoing crisis.
According to the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, 2,245 schools remain non-functional in 2023 in the North-West and South-West Regions, primarily due to attacks and threats perpetrated by non-state armed groups.
These incidents often involve gun violence, killings, arson, and abductions, which have created a dire situation for students, teachers, and educational institutions.
