Locals of Oku in Bui Division of the North West region began chasing out separatist fighters from several villages on Tuesday, after the amba boys kidnapped a villager.
The movement was instantaneous, and in less than no time, locals from several villages moved to the hideouts of the amba boys extruding them out.
The kidnap of a young man Ngum Ebenezer, who identifies with the ruling party CPDM but is said to be a little deranged seems to have been the last straw to break the camel’s back.
When news of his kidnap went round it triggered a massive protest of the population, because Ngum fits the likings of the locals. Armed with clubs, sticks and knives, the locals stormed camps of the amba boys forcing the soi-dissant fighters to flee.
More than 20 villages chased out amba boys on Tuesday, Tata (not his real names) who could later be targeted by the amba boys told L’Action. Kesoten, Mbockejikejm and Jikejem queued up during the later part of the day and pushed fighters through Ichim to Akeh, another border village. The move imitates a similar one by residents of shinga’a area of Oku (Ibal, Lang, Ngemsiba I and II, and Levi).
On Tuesday evening before L’Action went to bed we learnt that more villages were mobilising to chase the fighters to the boundary of Elak-Okum at Mbam. Reports, we could not independently confirm, say some amba boys were also driven to Ngebtang village in Noni Subdivision. But the protesters could not continue since it’s a different administrative area. However, the protesters warned residents of Ngebtang not to host the “terrorists from Oku else they will have Oku to deal with”, a source told L’Action.
At press time, Ngum Ebenezer has not been freed. Several sources said he had likely been taken to Djottin-Noni, the neighbouring subdivision to Oku. The Tuesday chase sparked in Elak, Ngum’s village.
A forth night ago, women took to the streets in Oku and ferret out Amba boys.
Locals accuse the separatist of carrying out atrocities; killings, kidnappings for ransom, arsons, extortion, and marauding.
Jude VIBAN
