Bamali Council indicts Ngoketunjia administration of vandalism

The chairman of the Bamali traditional Council has accused the administration of Ngoketunjia for using brutal invasion, ransacking, torture and looting of property at the Bamali fon’s palace and village in general by some armed forces led into the palace by Mr. Poss Alex-Francis-The Divisional Officer for Ndop Sub Division… soldiers, police and gendarmes to invade the village and to have tortured and looted property in Bamali village.

The accusations are contained in a three-page document to the Governor of the North West Region titled:

In his report, Chombong Lanu Michael, head of the Bamali traditional council laments that on Monday December 29, 2014 at about 1:30pm, five vehicles full of armed police, Gendarmes and soldiers drove into the palace during a traditional council meeting.

“On their arrival at the fon’s palace, they pursued, beat and ordered everybody to lie down. According to the Chombong, the raffia wine that was left in the pot was poured on them and they were as well-administered snake beating. He revealed that matters became worse when the same law enforcement officials started breaking doors and windows of the innermost part of the palace.

“Even bulbs, furniture and palace artifacts were not spared. Some went up to the market square adjacent the palace and some private homes in the neigbourhood, beating up everybody they met and seizing money, telephones and other belongings”.

He reiterated in his report that the same law enforcement officials made away with all the money contributed for the “council njangi” and all the documents.

He also mentioned that the fon was heavily brutalized and he (the fon) sustained injuries on his face, back and right arm. “The fon told us that the D.O Mr. Poss Alex-Francis personally seized and took away his briefcase containing all his credentials and money”, he noted.

The Bamali traditional council head also claims that the queen mothers (women) were molested. “Most of the victims are still in the hospital receiving treatment while some have been transferred to Bamenda and Mbingo Baptist Hospital”.

A pregnant queen mother is at risk of loosing her unborn baby. He further emphasizes in his report that when the troops finally left the palace, they fired bullets in the air and humiliated and tortured everyone they met on their way.

“Destroying their vehicles, motorcycle right up to Mbetpaw quarters where they invade private homes, destroyed property and looted some”. The same acts he underscores continued at the Bamali 3 corners where people sustained serious injuries and one vehicle belonging to one Mr. Chombong Joseph Tapenui.

Remorsefully, the chairman of the Bamali traditional council wonders that even right up to the moment that he is writing the report, “the D.O for Ndop and his people have not disclosed to us the reason d’etre of their mission to Bamali nor have they asked us for any document”. He further pleads on the North West Governor to help the people of Bamali by getting from the Divisional Officer for Ndop the main reason why he (the DO) invaded their village with armies and that the Bamali people are peace-loving, armless yet were maltreated, brutalized and tortured “in this way in this country”.

Untold Facts

When bill on terrorism was adopted in Parliament, SDF National chairman Ni John Fru Ndi was worried that local administrators may use that law to settle scores.

Barely two months after the bill was promulgated into law, the administration of Ngoketunjia is looking for a scapegoat to link to the past incident even though popular opinion in Bamali holds that the incident was masterminded by some people.

Some people are pointing accusing fingers at the administration of Ngoketunjia given that the SDO had some years back issued a letter to the Governor requesting 400 elements (2nd category) to help him reinstate the ousted fon of Bamali, Fon Idrisuh Nopu Sahfua.

On the other hand, another opinion holds that the fon who happens to be a Gendarme officer was amongst the looter camouflaged in military uniform. It is even alleged that when matters worsen the same administration surfaced with a letter in which allegedly Bamali village had threatened to invade Bamuka.

In reaction to that letter, the Mayor of Ndop council discarded such a claim adding that “his villages will never go to war against another”. Popular opinion in Ndop holds that the issue of Bamali village planning to invade Bamuka was a fabrication of the administration to conceal the administrative error committed that escalated into a blood bath “Where are the guns that were kept in the palace”, Emmanuel Nken one of the villagers questioned.

He told this reporter that he moved to the scene and talked to the population and even cleared off the road blockages to ease the movement of commuters who were caught in the web at Bamali 3 Corners. This reporter met 18 years Nkimih Rostand who was just discharged from the Mbingo Baptist Hospital after a major operation on his leg.

Yet it is difficult for him to move. The chairman lamented that another pathetic case is that of Yeh Stephen whose family is still struggling to raise money for him to undergo an operation. He said that even though some of the victims cannot move from the bed, the medical certificates issued to them by the medical doctor in Ndop indicates that something went wrong somewhere.

“We had to seek intervention before medical certificates was issued for our son”, parent of one of the victims told us. “I am suspecting the hand of the administration in this issue, how can someone whose leg has been shattered by a bullet be given only 10 days, this boy cannot walk after six months”. The brouhaha that took place at Bamali has seemingly been transformed into settling of scores.

Some of the victims who sustained injuries include amongst others: Njokeh Michael, Yombi Ivo, Nipoh Swebum, Shume Collette, Yombi Mathias, Tengang Esther, Nden Bartholomew, Che Felix, Njokang Essemont, Memo Eric, Mboh Raphael, Yefor Wilfred, Tani Nicoline, Tani Henry, Tani Collins, Tani Raymond, Tani Irene, Fomunkwain Bruno, Njingun Moses, Yann Quester, Ngong Francis, Nchowara George, Nkimi Rostand, Mbondop Raymond, Komupah Derick, Ngopuh Clovis, Puh Ibrahim, Yeh Stephen. However, the list of victims is long but we could only lay hands on the above list.