Travellers along the Bamenda–Mbengwi road faced panic on Tuesday, April 22, when armed men, believed to be Ambazonia separatist fighters, intercepted dozens of vehicles near Alabukam and held passengers hostage for hours.
Eyewitnesses and local officials said the separatists emerged from a eucalyptus forest around 12:30 p.m. and operated until about 5:30 p.m., stopping nearly 30 vehicles and detaining more than 200 passengers.
Victims report that fighters forced them to sit on the ground, flogging them and demanding a ransom of FCFA 10,000 from each person.
Despite the physical abuse and tense standoff, no one reported kidnappings, and the separatists did not seize any vehicles.
According to one of the victims, the attackers later returned mobile phones they had initially confiscated.
“They came out purposely to extort locals. At least FCFA 2,000,000 was collected from us,” she said.
Condemnation
Ubango Helle, Mayor of Andek Council and native of the affected Division, decried the persistent insecurity in the region during the March 2025 session of the North West Regional Assembly.
“There are places in the Northwest where the crisis hit so hard, despite efforts by our efficient security,” Mayor Ubango stated.
“For about a year now, the official route through Alabukam to Mbengwi has been blocked by these boys.”
He added that, “Presently, even residents of that quarter cannot use their own cars. Children are unable to attend school.
Tuesday’s incident is a glimpse of the fragile security situation in the North West Region, where separatist fighters continue to defy state authority, disrupt movement, and undermine local economies.
“I have had to close my shop in Mbon and take up another business. I couldn’t transport my goods due to the poor nature of the new road through Bali,” said a shop owner, now a bike rider in Bamenda.
Local officials are urging the government to bolster security and restore safe travel along key routes in the region.
Background of Bamenda-Mbengwi Road Block
The Alabukam-Mbengwi route has been a hotspot since 2021, when separatist fighters under the Ambazonia Defense Forces warned travelers to stop using the road.
The forest of Bali forced many residents to take a longer and more expensive route.
Separatists briefly reopened the road in early 2024, but they later blocked it again without warning.
Locals reverted to using the Bali stretch until April 22, when fighters launched the latest ambush near Alabukam, along the bush road they had been using.
Local officials are now appealing for intentional military operations to secure the local population.
