Police arrests 40-year-old suspected sodomist in Yaounde.

The man who hails from the Far North Region of the country was picked up by officers of the 9th District Police Station last August 29. 

The man, said to be a vendor of roast meat at the Rondpoint Express Market in the Yaounde VI Subdivision, was presented to reporters Thursday. 

Police officers disclosed that the suspect was arrested following investigations opened after several complaints of many cases of rape and assault among young boys at the start of the just ended summer holidays. 

How suspect was arrested 

The Head of 9th District Police Station, Superintendent of Police Ebode Atangana Philippe, disclosed that Waziri who was hardly in their list, was caught by locals. 

Ebode recounted that the suspect was caught by a group of people at a stream not far from the Rondpoint Express Market while trying to dress up after sodomising a victim he had earlier sodomised three times. 

The police official said when the victim was questioned by the passersby, the child who had apparently been threatened by Waziri refused and said it was nothing.

Not convinced of the child’s declaration, Ebode said the population reported the issue to the police and investigations were opened. 

“We carried out investigations on his phone and around where he lives. After investigations, we took him in for questioning and we discovered he is an ex-convict who was released six months ago for the same crimes,” Ebode told reporters. 

He said after been questioned by the police; Waziri later confessed he is psychopathic. Ebode said the suspect disclosed he had long been involved in the act in Douala before coming to Yaounde.

“We are charging him for rape, homosexuality among young boys who are the future to their families and to the nation of Cameroon,” Ebode told reporters. 

Population to be on the alert 

The police official seized the opportunity to call on parents and guidance to engage their children on physical conversations and not just allow them to learn from the social media. 

“…they should be able to talk to them, do investigations of their environment, check to see if something has changed with their children, see all their friends and make sure they know the people the children are dealing with,” Ebode advised. 

He further to assured the population of moves underway to unmask all criminals who are terrorizing the community and especially youths. 

“…fight will be easy if together we raise awareness among our children through educative talks, examine our children regularly ask them questions always,” Ebode said.  

Enter medical doctor

Speaking to the press, a Medical Doctor, Dr Ruth Kamga Ngongawg, disclosed that victims of such situations might suffer both mental and physical consequences.

Harping on the mental consequences, Dr Ngongawg victims might end up been scared, aggressive, engage in drugs other acts dangerous for their wellbeing.

The medic said physically, the child might contract sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, Syphilis, hepatitis. 

“A child who has been a victim can tomorrow become a homosexual since he is still small to differentiate what is good and what is not good,” the medic said.

The medic advised parents to be watchful enough so as to notice when their children are not okay. 

Enter victim’s mother

The mother of the victim said the suspect sees the child each time he is sent to buy something from the road and repeatedly threatens the child with a knife.

“…the man is doing this to my child because he knows I don’t have a husband and no one can do him anything…that is why he threatens my child with a knife and then goes and rapes him,” the mother of the victim disclosed. 

The victim’s mother further disclosed that: “One Friday morning I sent him to go buy bread he threatened him with a knife took him from the market since it was closed and went and raped him”. 

The mother of four further disclosed that she never noticed any change in her child’s attitude since she goes out in the morning and only return in the evening. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3228 of Friday September 13, 2024