A Yaoundé taxi driver, Noumbiap Nzeale Edwin, was arrested by police from Central Police Station Number 1 after he faked his own death. This incident has raised public concerns in a city where growing insecurity has led to anxiety around the safety of taxi drivers.
Disappearance Sparks Public Concern
Noumbiap went missing for several days, leading many to assume he had fallen victim to the recent wave of taxi driver kidnappings. Later, he clarified his actions, stating, “I have never been kidnapped or killed. I left the house to go and work. I prolonged my work and went and stayed in a friend’s house to cool my head off and prepare for the New Year.”
According to Noumbiap, while staying with his friend, he learned that rumors of his alleged kidnapping and death were circulating on social media, including claims of a ransom demand. This disappearance fueled worry among his family and the broader community, as fears have intensified due to reports of kidnappings and murders targeting Yaoundé taxi drivers.
False Rumors and Public Reaction
Yaoundé has been on edge, with recent incidents reported at the Central Police Station involving the kidnappings of taxi drivers from areas like Anomayos and Nkozoa. Responding to the heightened alarm, Commissioner Thierry Medou of Central Police Station Number 1 condemned those spreading baseless information on social media. “There are people working in the dark who take it upon themselves to disseminate fake information on the kidnapping and assassination of taximen in Yaoundé, and their objectives are not known,” he said.
Authorities Address Misinformation
The Divisional Officer of the Mfoundi Department, Mariel Emmanuel, also addressed the issue, dismissing rumors that 40 taxi drivers had been killed in the area. “I am formally debunking that; they have never killed 40 taximen in Yaoundé,” he emphasized, adding that some have manipulated cases of suicide and natural death to create alarming stories of taxi driver fatalities.
Warning Against the Spread of False News
Following the incident, authorities issued a stern warning, stating that anyone caught spreading false information would face legal consequences. Noumbiap, the taxi driver once presumed dead, was eventually brought forward to dispel the rumors surrounding his disappearance.
With the rise of transport syndicates and a renewed effort by authorities to address the underlying crisis, officials in Yaoundé continue working to restore public confidence in the city’s transportation sector amidst a challenging climate of fear and misinformation.
