Calm is yet to return to Ndop, Ngohketunjia Division of the North West Region of Caneroon after persons identified by eyewitnesses as soldiers shot three persons.
Amongst the three female victims, was a little baby girl, a pregnant woman and her sister.
The incident occurred in Mufti, Ndop, Sunday August 25, 2019, Mimi Mefo Info has learnt.
“One of the girls left Ndzeru Mbam in (Bui), to visit her elder sister in Bamunka (Ndop) on Sunday. The visiting girl, her pregnant sister and another child took a bike and as they passed through Ncheh street in Ndop, the men in military attire opened fire on them, killing the three females plus the unborn child all belonging to one Mr. Richard,” a source revealed.
“The bike rider succeeded to escape,” he added.
Another source had a contrary view. “It was a stray bullet, we can still not tell for sure who killed them because there was a gun battle between the military and pro independence fighters in that area,” he said.
Government issued a statement accusing Ambazonian fighters. The Defence ministry said soldiers have always acted professionally and for the interest of the population.
“In the morning of August 25th 2019, three elements of the National Gendarmerie Brigade of Ndop Subdivision in the Ngoketunja Division of the North West Region on a supply mission, were attacked by terrorist secessionists, who were under cover with the knowledge of some traders,”
Cyrille Atonfack, head of the communication unit at the Defence Ministry said.
“These secessionists aimed at the assassination of these gendarmes with objective to ignite a macabre sensation on the eve of school resumption, which happens to be a very sensitive issue in the North-West and South-West Regions,” Atonfack said.
“The Gendarmes who were attacked sought refuge in a nearby hair dressing saloon, situated at the main entrance to the market, while the bullets shot at them brutally killed two peaceful citizens and a baby. The victims are Baninla Clarisse Kife, born on June 19th 1996. She was pregnant; Baninla Emmanuel Yensezen, born on December 26th 1984; a Baby aged 6 months old, daughter of Baninla Emmanuel”.
“Informed of the situation, the Commander of the Gendarmerie Brigade for Ndop rapidly went to the scene and first of all called on the population to take note of their convenience measures and complicity with the terrorists, before transferring the corpses to the mortuary,” Atonfack added.
This is not the first time minors are shot with impunity in the troubled North West and South West regions of Cameroon. A similar incident occured in Muyuka in May 2019. Government soldiers were accused of shooting a minor to death by the latter’s parents. Security officials denied all the accusations.
Mimi Mefo Info
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