The family of a young man, Chopo Happiness, is desperately searching for him after he went missing days ago.
According to Clovis, his nephew had recently arrived from the village and was working as a commercial bike rider to make a living in Bamenda.
The young man was last seen on Sunday, February 16, when he left his home at Mile 7 Mankon for his usual bike business. Since then, his phone had been unreachable until on Monday, February 24, when it briefly went through before being switched off again.
Chopo’s disappearance adds to the growing number of missing persons in Bamenda, a disturbing trend that has become increasingly common due to the ongoing armed conflict in the region. Families of missing persons often find themselves searching endlessly, with little to no response from authorities.
Vernyuy (not her real name), a woman from Kumbo, recalls how her brother disappeared under similar circumstances in 2020. “He went missing, and after a long search, I found him detained at the Bamenda Central Prison,” she said. “He had been arrested along with about 40 others while traveling to a burial in Oku and was accused of being a separatist fighter.”
Vernyuy further narrated how she was forced to pay 400,000 FCFA before her brother was released. “I struggled with my small business to raise that money. My brother has never been a criminal. He had just returned from Buea, where he sells second-hand items, to bury an old friend,” she added.
Cases like these continue to fuel fear and frustration among families who say they have lost loved ones without explanation. Clovis and his family are now pleading with anyone who may have information about Chopo’s whereabouts to come forward.
