Child trafficking running riot in Bamenda

-Two women arraigned with 32 missing children

By a correspondent in Bamenda with agency reports

Two women suspected of running a child trafficking syndicate are now gnashing their teeth in the Bamenda Central Prison. MeidieuEpseSaaHarlette Prudence and Naomi Akere were nabbed by the police as they were busy plying their trade in Bamenda.

                Prudence was first arrested in the early morning of 8 July 2016, when she arrived in Bamenda with 32 children aboard a night bus from Yaounde. For her part, Naomi Akere was arrested later when she showed up from Yaounde claiming to be the mother of one of the kids but failed to proof her claims.

                The police contacted a Yaounde-based man who had reported that his three children were missing. The man identified the kids amongst the 32 children and left the police station bursting with joy. The other 29 kids are currently in the Baptist Seminary in Ndu, in Donga Mantung Division, under the care of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

How it all happened

                It was early morning on July 8 when a bus from Yaounde arrives at the Bamenda agency of Vatican Express. Lady MeidieuHarlette Prudence helps 32 children alight from the bus. She and the kids were bound for Ndu were she claimed they had to participate in a church holiday camp dubbed Kings kids.

                But as fate would have it, one of the children, a six year old strolls away and goes missing. The child is later found loitering in the Vatican Express premises unattended and the proprietor of Vatican Express hands over the child to the NW Governor, LeleL’Afrique who doubles as the head of the North West Task Force on Trafficking in Humans.

                For his par, the governor later entrusted the kid to the Delegation of Social Affairs and also orders an investigation into the matter.

No perfect crime

                In the meantime, Harlette Prudence upon arriving in Ndu discovers that one of the kids (a girl) is missing. She immediately rushes to Bamenda to search for her. But she falls in the police dragnet when she fails to convince anyone with her story.

                Harlette Prudence claimed that the father of the child is an American from California who impregnated Naomi Akere but abandoned her with her one-month-old pregnancy. Naomi would later relocate to Yaounde from Douala, as she claims, to live with a certain Milo Milo (who has not yet come to Bamenda to claim the child) and who investigators are interested in interviewing.

                Both women detained at the public security department were later transferred to the Bamenda central prison pending the production of valid documents to justify their claims.

                Meanwhile, some quarters have already suggested that a DNA test be done to determine the biological parents of the mulato-looking 6-year-old girl.

                A certain lady named LumAchaNdiBridgitte who also later showed up in Bamenda claiming to be the grandmother of the child was allowed to go, even though she could not convince anyone about her claim.

                Intriguingly, the church that supposedly organized the Kings Kids camp has since not intervened in the matter. Not even a certain BiwoleMathieurent whom the suspected traffickers named as the proprietor of their church with branches at PK12 in Douala and Titi Garage in Yaounde respectively, has showed up.

                Meantime, as the truth about the children is still being sought, many people kept availing themselves to collect them. But so far, only three of the children have been identified and taken away.

                For their part, the arraigned suspects are still battling to free themselves. Their release on bail by an investigating magistrate was short-lived as they were rearrested last Thursday, 28 July and remanded in prison.

                The matter is currently before the Investigating Magistrate, Belinda, who is also 4th Deputy State Counsel in Bamenda.

                It is worthy to note that the rescue of the 32 children comes on the heels of 70 women rescued from slave labour in the Middle East.

                Meanwhile, an investigating magistrate is also currently probing into the whereabouts of 21 children that were being held by a banker in Bamenda in the name of helping street children. (See story elsewhere in this publication).