The Mayor of Tubah, Martin Tanjong, has strongly condemned the act, expressing deep concern over its implications for the upcoming National Day celebrations.
“The attackers were not from Tubah; their language indicated origins from other villages,” Mayor Tanjong stated.
He was speaking of the tragedy that struck Bambui in Tubah Subdivision, as a separatist attack claimed the lives of two security personnel and three civilians around 8 pm on May 14.
The mayor emphasized the need for collective responsibility within the community to prevent such atrocities.
“We must acknowledge our own shortcomings in Tubah for inadvertently allowing such acts to occur within our borders,” he continued, urging residents to learn from the cooperative spirit exhibited elsewhere.
The attackers shot and killed a bar owner, a woman and her daughter and two military officers who were reportedly drinking at the spot.
Amidst the grief and shock gripping Tubah, Mayor Tanjong called upon the populace to reject violence and thwart any attempts to disrupt the peace of their Municipality.
“It’s heart-wrenching for us in Tubah. Every time our people venture out for business or farming, they encounter the menace of violence, jeopardizing their lives,” Mayor Tanjong lamented.
Despite the somber mood, preparations for the National Day celebrations persist, albeit overshadowed by fear.
In Bamenda, the North West Regional headquarters, which is just a few kilometers from Bambui, military and police officers have been rehearsing ahead of the 20th May celebrations on Monday.
However, there are fears separatists’ calls for boycott and ghost town may disrupt the 20 May celebrations in the hinterlands of the Region.
Previous celebrations have been marred by ghost towns and violence in some parts of the Region, which are still reeling from armed conflict since 2017.
Mayor Tanjong expressed confidence in the resilience of Tubah’s residents amid the ongoing armed conflict, urging them to prioritize unity and harmony.
“No bloodshed should stain our municipality. We must unite against violence and unequivocally denounce those who perpetrate such acts,” he Tanjong asserted.
