Bamenda: “Benskin” Riders Take Hospital Guards Hostage

A group of about 25 commercial bike riders popularly known as “benskin” this evening lay siege at the main entrance to the Bamenda Regional Hospital to demand security guards working at the hospital to produce a bike they alleged connivance and stole.

The commercial bike rider whose bike is reportedly stolen said he was ordered by one of the security guards at about 3 pm in the afternoon not to park around the Main gate but to go and park by the maternity gate. He said he was gone for only 25 minutes after parking his bike in front of the maternity gate and when he returned the bike was nowhere to be found. He said when he asked one of the security guards, he got very furious at him. He left and told his colleagues who swamped the place later on in the evening.

The bike riders partially blocked the main entrance into the hospital and demanded to know why bikes are not allowed into the hospital premises even when they bring in emergency cases? They also insisted that the security guards bring out the bike or the security company hand over the guards on duty at the said time to them.

The bikers also alleged that many bikes have gone missing in similar manner and nothing has been done about it.

Some senior officials of the Premiere Security Company were brought in but failed to calm the situation. The matter was handed over to the 3rd District Police for further investigation.

By Abongwa Fozo