Military Raids Ntankah, Frees Hostages

General Nka Valere holding an automatic rifle ceased from the fighters

Fritz a lower sixth student of GBHS Bayelle and his sister, Genney were returning to their Nchobuh residence when their bike was intercepted by separatist fighters

Fritz who was rushing home to celebrate his 18th birthday ended up spending the night at the Ntankah Amba camp under the command of General Lion

Where hostages are forced to sleep

In the cell at the Ntankah camp were four persons who had been picked up from different places in Bamenda.

Anang, who went to pickup a parcel from Bafut park at Ntarikon was rounded up by the fighters and taken to the camp

In an abandoned building in Ntankah, no chairs, no beds and very dusty, the kidnapped persons were beaten with a machete and forced to sleep on the ground. Non was permitted to even urinate as narrated by Fritz

Weapons retrieved from the operation

General Lion, in the camp with his wife who left the operation unharmed, died alongside his Junior brother who all hail from Nso in Bui Division

The surprised attack by the Defense and security forces left four dead, one hostage wounded at the arm and is responding to treatment at the hospital, three freed and four in their teens were arrested

The troops commanded by Major Onana Conrad retrieved 6 automatic rifles, 3 pistols, artisanal guns, gun powder, phones, jewelries and a lot of books surrounded the camp, testimony of the fact that many students have been kidnapped and brought to the camp

Charms used by the fighters

It took the intervention of Anang to raise an alarm when the military stormed the place in the early hours of Saturday 6th February for their lives to be saved. "Aide noise Monsieur, loosely translated as "help us sir" were the words he used to calm the tempers of the soldiers as bullets went flying. He had been beaten and a sum of 300,000 Francs demanded as ransom

In his call to the population of the North West Region, Brigadier General Ekongwese Divine of the 5th Gendamerie Region noted that "it is our mission to protect the people. The raid was to go and free those in captivity at the camp"

"We shall continue to protect the people and ensure that the population is free"

Generals Nka and Ekongwese at the camp

Quizzed why it took them time to make this raid, General Nka Valere of the 5th Joint Military Region said "we have been to these camps more than once. It is not everyday you go hunting that you bring back a catch"

Those held in captivity have been returned to their families while the four caught in the raid are helping the security forces with information

General Lion left behind a wife and two children with a girl in her early 20s who left Nso to join them at Ntankah

The camp is located 2.5 kms to the Bamenda airport and 1km to Ngomgham

By

Ndi Tsembom Elvis