Dead captain was a “mystery child” - Dad

The late Captain Elvis Matute Mbene had issues with vehicles at his birth. It is thus funny that he had to leave the world in a vehicle hence his dad, Chief Emmanuel Matute Mbene believes he was a mystery child.

Before the details and chronology of his last days were narrated, it is known that he died when a land mine, believed to have been laid by the jihadist Boko Haram, went off killing him and the driver of their vehicle on the Mora-Limani road.

Military officials may be restricted to tell that story in detail. Fellow soldiers may do so some day, off the record, but Captain Mbene’s dad narrated his strange experience with his car the day his son was born.

He spoke to Franklin Sone Bayen at his Towe (Alpha Club) Mile 1 residence in Limbe on 26th February 2015.

His story: I had just bought a brand new Peugeot 404 Pickup, not yet used for up to three months. On the day my son was born, when my wife was in labour, we packed her things and put them inside the vehicle to take her to the maternity in Bota (General Hospital Annex at the time) at about 7.30am.

She got seated and I began to reverse to leave my compound then in the New Town neighbourhood just before I made a turn into the main road, the car stopped, the engine went out. I made several attempts to reignite the car to no avail.

I then called some boys to push the car for a jerk start but No way! It just wouldn't start. I packed it at the roadside and tried to get a taxi to Bota.

It was a herculean task but I finally got a taxi, the taxi driver insisted that I pay CFA 1,000 whereas the normal fare at the time was not more than CFA 50.

On our way, the taxi driver told me, “Papa, your woman will give birth but to a male child.”

In the child delivery room or labour room, my wife said she had forgotten something essential at home that I must go and bring. Again I couldn't get a taxi to take me back home in New Town. I had to walk all the way. It just happened that there was also no friend driving around that time to give me a lift.

When I got to New Town, I went to the garage and fetched a mechanic to examine the vehicle. He asked me to lift the bonnet and ignite the vehicle.

I did and behold, the vehicle ignited even without the mechanic’s intervention. I looked at my watch and the time was 10.10am.

I went home to fetch what my wife had forgotten and drove straight to the hospital. My wife had already delivered, a boy of course, as the taxi driver had predicted. I asked the midwife at what time the baby was born. She checked the records and behold it was 10.10am.

My son was born the same moment the vehicle we were using to go for his delivery, regained life.

I also believe he was destined to be a soldier because of the way he made me trek like a soldier on the day he was born.