Teachers Freed After Paying 3 Million Ransom to Separatists in Nkambe

Two teachers who were previously abducted by armed Ambazonia separatist fighters in Njap have been freed by their captors in Nkambe Central, Donga Mantung division of the North West region. The individuals who have been released are Mahngong Roland, a primary school teacher at GS Mbikong in Tabenken, and Mr. Dickson, who teaches at GS Bongom.

Based on information from sources close to the families of the abducted teachers, it has been reported that significant amounts of money were paid as ransom to secure their release. “They each paid 1.5 million before they were set free,” the source disclosed.

They were freed on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, after being taken captive the day before. The incident occurred when separatist fighters attempted to enforce a Monday ghost town decree in the area.

Many localities in Nkambe continue to oppose the customary Monday ghost towns, which the Ambazonia separatist movement has been enforcing since 2016.

On Monday, April 15, a group of armed individuals from Lassin in Bui Division carried out an attack in Njap. They set fire to 13 motorcycles and proceeded to capture the teachers who were riding on some of the motorcycles.

The abduction occurred on the day when the third term of Cameroon’s educational calendar was set to resume. Since the escalation of the Anglophone crisis into an armed conflict, educational stakeholders have become targets of armed separatists.

In a disturbingly similar incident, back in February 2023, Bantar Samuel, a primary school teacher, tragically experienced a similar outcome in the same area, becoming a target of armed Ambazonia separatist fighters.

Mimi Mefo Info