Ngoketunjia: Suspected Amba fighters kill Babessi deputy mayor.

Nkwatoh Solomon was reportedly shot at his compound in Babessi village at about 10pm on Friday March 22. 

According to information gathered from sources, the armed men stormed Nwatoh's residence that night when he was not around. 

The Guardian Post learnt he was with a Muslim neighbour to break fasting that night, but he unfortunately returned and felt into the hands of the gunmen.

Our sources who opted for anonymity, revealed that the mayor attempted to escape from their hands, but was shot on the hand and head.

“They [gunmen] came to his compound yesterday night between 9pm and 10pm but the mayor wasn’t around since he had gone out to meet a Muslim neighbour to break fasting. They fired in the air and break into his house but didn’t find anybody,” our source said.

The source further added that the suspected Amba fighters took cover around his house and monitored him to see if he would return, adding that their informants had told them he would come back to spend the night in his house that day since he usually slept at the council where there is security.

“When he came back and felt into the hands of the armed men, they asked him to follow them to the bush and when he resisted and forced himself out their hands and started running, one of them pulled out his gun and opened fire on him,” our source disclosed.

In a video that circulated on social media, the mayor was seen lying helpless with blood all over his body. He, however, didn’t die on the spot after sustaining the bullet wounds.

We further learned his family members immediately evacuated him to the Babessi hospital, where he received first aid. 

Through the interventions of the SDO for Ngoketunjia, he was taken on military escort at about 3am on Saturday morning to Bamenda. Our source added that upon reaching Bambili in Tubah Subdivision, the mayor gave up the ghost.

His corpse was deposited at the Bamenda Regional Hospital mortuary, pending burial program. 

Late Nkwatoh joined politics in 2013 and was later on elected 2^nd deputy mayor of Babessi Council in 2020. 

Before joining politics, he had taught in different Secondary Schools in the Centre and North West Regions. 

It should be noted that in November 2023, the 2^nd deputy mayor of Balikumbat Council in the same Division, Passi Christopher, was also killed by suspected Amba fighters. 

Passi, who doubled as Principal of GBHS Mbeukong in Ndop, was first kidnapped for about 10 days before executed and his corpse dumped at the roadside.