Abducted Ikiliwindi Chief Released Four Months After

-Chief Eseme Elise of Kokobuma also freed alongside two traditional council members of Ikiliwindi village

Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Ambazonia Freedom Fighters

The traditional ruler of Ikilinwindi village, in Konye Sub-Division, Meme Division in the Southwest Region has regained his freedom four months after he was abducted by unknown gunmen in the village.

            Chief Mbele Collins was set free on Saturday June 9, 2018 after allegedly paying ransom of FCFA 2.5 million. It should be recalled the traditional ruler wasabducted to an unknown destination in the evening hours of Tuesday February 20, 2018 in his palace shortly after chairing a conclave with members of his traditional council on that same day.

            At the time of his abduction, unconfirmed sources said Chief Mbele Collins was considered as a blackleg in the village and noted for revealing supporters of the ‘Ambazonia’ struggle to administrative and security forces. At the initial point of his abduction FCFA 500 000 was demanded from his family in other to secure his release.

            In the same development two of his traditional council members who were abducted shortly after him have also been released. It should be noted that it was during the early hours of Wednesday February 21, that news went viral on the abduction of his traditional council chairman and the secretary of the council. The news of their disappearance to unknown places created a lot of panic in the entire village as many youths began searching for the three personalities in various bushes to no avail until recently. The abduction of the Chief and the two other council members caused mass exodus of villagers to nearby bushes and villages.

            Worthy of note here is the fact that Ikiliwindi has been the epicenter of hostilities since the escalation of the Anglophone crisis into violence from September last year. Several deaths have been recorded on both the military and civilians. The Ikiliwindi Gendarmerie post has witnessed several attacks and destruction of property as well as many youths have been carted away from the village by the security forces.

Chief Eseme Elise of Kokobuma freed

            In another development, the traditional ruler of Kokobuma village in Konye Sub-Division has also regain his freedom from the hands of his abductors. Eseme Elis was release during the first week of June.             We are still to confirm if he was release on ransom or not. Sources close to the traditional custodian indicates he has given the Meme administration a briefing of what he went through while in captivity and an alleged message from the ‘Ambazonia’ separatist fighters.

            Eseme Elise was abducted at about 1pm on Saturday May 26, 2018 by unknown gunmen at the locality of Mabonji near Kumba as he was travelling to Kumba from Buea. Few days after his abduction, news went viral that he his kidnappers were demanding FCFA 25 million from his family to secure his release. Many people revealed the high amount demanded from the traditional ruler might been as a result of his closeness to the Mukete family.