Society

Lebialem: Irate population captures, kills, buries five Amba fighters.

Five suspected separatist fighters have been captured, killed and buried by the population in Fontem subdivision, Lebialem division of the South West Region. The Amba fighters were said to have been killed while they attempted to extort the traders in a market of their hard-earned money. The incident is said to have occurred in a popular cocoa market in the locality of Essoh-Atta in Fontem subdivision.

The Guardian Post gathered that since the Anglophone crisis morphed into an armed conflict, the armed group had habitually invaded the market to extort the traders, especially cocoa dealers of their money.

It is alleged that a few days ago, the population of Essoh-Atta, after receiving tipoff of a planned attack, galvanised and planned to counter the attack.

Sources said, after showing up at the market, the five fighters were nabbed by the irate population under cover.

The fighters are reported to have been severely beaten and killed before being buried.

However, The Guardian Post could not confirm other reports that some of the fighters were buried alive.

It is said that the fighters who were killed, are responsible for the death of a commercial motorbike rider, who had helped in transporting the corpse of self-styled separatist warlord, Oliver Lekeaka, also known as Field Marshall.

The biker is said to have been ambushed and later killed by the fighters while he was transporting passengers to a neighbouring village.

This incident brings to the fore calls by public authorities for local communities to take actions to tackle secessionist activities within the restive North West and South West regions.

Recently, the population of Ebonji in Tombel subdivision, Kupe-Muanenguba division had risen against the atrocities of separatists in their villages. A video, which went viral, showed the population marching through the village squares, declaring an end to the activities of Amba fighters in their community, while calling for more military presence.

In addition, Mbalangi in Mbonge subdivision; Oku in Bui division and Balikumbat in the Ngoketunjia division had taken similar action, calling for an end to Amba fighters in their localities.