Bamenda: A priest traveling from Bamenda to Tooy during the recent holiday season endured a harrowing journey marked by multiple extortion attempts at checkpoints manned by both the Cameroonian military and armed separatist groups.
According to Cameroon News Agency, the priest, who requested anonymity, recounted his ordeal, describing the journey as a ‘hellish experience.’ He disclosed that he was compelled to pay 1,000 francs CFA to the military at several checkpoints. However, the most alarming experience occurred in Bamessing, where he encountered separatists who demanded a substantial sum of money under threat.
The priest narrated being forced to hand over 200,000 francs CFA to the separatists, who were armed. He described the incident where one of the separatists threatened him with a K47 rifle and resorted to physical intimidation. The priest further recounted that his nurse was slapped for objecting to the demands.
Expressing his frustration, the priest emphasized that these checkpoints serve as op
portunities for extortion rather than security. He lamented that civilians are ensnared in the ongoing conflict, suffering from the actions of both the military and the separatists.
He further shared a distressing account of a fellow passenger who was taken to a separatist camp. The passenger, advised by the driver to hide his money, was searched, and when no money was found, his phone was confiscated. The priest suspected that the separatists intended to seize any earnings from the passenger’s business activities in Bamenda.
The priest is among thousands who traverse this route and face similar ordeals. The persistent conflict has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the region. Despite the traditional ruler in Bamessing ordering the separatists to disarm, they continue their operations, extorting money from civilians without retreating.