Politics

Buea: Ekona women protest incessant arrests, molestation of children.

by Shing Timothy
17 Feb 2023 06:26
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Women sitting along the road, beside Gendarmerie legion in Buea

A group of Women from Ekona, a community in Muyuka Subdivision, Fako Division of the South West Region, have staged a protest in Buea against what they say is the disproportionate use of violence and force on the population and rampant arrest of children by defense and security forces in the area. The protest was staged at the headquarters of the National Gendarmerie Legion, Buea, in the South West.

During the protest Wednesday, protesters narrated tales of their children being arrested and eventually disappearing.

“We are here because the forces of law and order are giving us a lot of trouble. They come around anytime and arrest our children and lock them at times for months…,” explained one of the protesters.

Brandishing peace plants and tree branches, the women said they wanted nothing but peace.

However, they stressed the fact that the release of their children, who had been arrested either at the football pitch or in the quarters was their primary goal.

The latest spree of arrests took place Sunday 12 and Monday 13 February, 2023.

Accounts from denizens of Ekona say the arrests on Sunday took place at a popular football field where young persons had gathered for a football match.

According to Eta Joseph, who refereed the match, they were surrendered by gun totting officers and later arrested and taken to Buea.

“…On Sunday, we had a match in the field. I was the referee. After half time, soldiers came and surrendered all of us, telling us that if anyone moves an inch, they will shoot. We all sat down and they called a vehicle which ferried all of us to Buea,” Eta recounted.

The recent arrests, locals explained, is a continuation of the actions of defense and security forces to arrest people without any evidence of a crime committed.

Most of the denizens decried the fact that oftentimes, persons are arrested and tagged separatists or sympathizers of separatists.

“On the 10 February 2023, they arrested two boys, and two girls accusing one of selling steak to separatist fighters, but we know that separatist fighters don’t have uniforms, so as a business man you cannot make out who is who,” Eta explained.

One of the protesting mothers said it was impossible to ascertain the number of people arrested.

She said some persons based in other towns came to Ekona on that day just to witness or take part in the football match and were also picked up.

“…we don’t even know the right number of those who were arrested because some of the boys came from Buea, Limbe and other towns to meet with their friends in the field. So, we don’t know the number of children who were arrested”, she said.