Fallouts of Lawyers/teachers’ strike:

Bike rider’s arrest ignites zenophobic chants in K’ba

Bike riders in Kumba chanted “Francophones must go….. “francophones must go”, following the arrest of one of their colleagues by a gendarme officer.

By Johnson Batuo

Commercial motorbike riders are often lawless and careless

The arrest of a commercial motorcycle rider by a gendarme officer in Kumba Wednesday 11 November 2016 led to chants of “francophones must go” and “Yaounde must go” by some okada-men who later besieged the gendarme brigade at Buea road.

                The incident erupted following arrest of an okadaman around Town Green by a gendarme officer for allegedly blocking his passage way.  The median gathered that the gendarme officer attempted overtaking when the okada man was overtaking another vehicle.

                We further gathered that after successfully overtaking the bike rider, the gendarme officer arrested him, seized his bike and impounded it at the station.

 

                The news of the arrest of the okadaman spread like brush fire as in no time the gendarme brigade at Buea road was besieged by bike riders who used their horns to draw the attention of passers-by. 

                While some of the okadamen blocked the main road with their bikes, others besieged the brigade pelting the roof of the building with stones.

                As if this was not enough, their reaction metamorphosed into “francophones must go and Yaounde must go” chants. The Median gathered that chants were referring to the gendarme officer who is said to be a native of the South region.

                The intervention of administration officials did not intimidate the okada riders to leave.  The bike riders only dispersed peacefully following the release of their colleague and his bike by the commandant of the brigade.  Also released was a passerby who was slapped by the said gendarme for condemning his uncivilized action.