K’ba Denizens Seek Refuge in Churches & Bushes as Gun battles Persist in Town

Gun battle at Three Corners Fiango leaves several dead

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Hundreds of Kumba city dwellers from Fiango on Monday July 9, 2018 took refuge in churches and nearby bushes as gun battle between Cameroon’s defence and security forces and unknown gunmen believed to be elements of the ‘Ambazonia Defence Force, ADF, turned deadly.

            One of the victims, a 26-year-old boy resident at Mulango Street, Fiango, told The Median on condition of anonymity on a telephone interview that they escaped their homes on Monday night for fear of a possible military raid of their neighbourhood base on its proximity to the makeshift battle grounds where pockets of resistance had been recorded.

            “We left our houses for St. Francis church at about 8pm that Monday evening because two of our neighbours were shot; leaving one dead and the other rushed to the hospital. We cannot tell if he will survive or not. We ran to the church because of fear of another invasion of the neighbourhood” our source narrated.

            He added that they were all allowed access to the church where close to 100 of them ended up spending the night on benches, mats, and mattresses before returning to their homes early in the morning. We equally gathered that more than 250 persons also spent the night at the Catholic Cathedral in as a result of a possible military crackdown of their neighbourhoods.

            While many families took to the churches, others who didn’t see the churches safe enough escaped to nearby bushes with their children. We couldn’t confirm if those who escaped to bushes safely returned to their homes as sporadic gunshots were equally heard early Tuesday morning as life started returning to normal.

Corpses litter Kumba

            The gunshots that started on Monday as early as 8am continued till nigh fall leaving behind several corpses. Our source revealed while they were in church, gunshots could still be heard at about midnight. Early Tuesday morning, a corpse was discovered around the New Layout junction in Fiango. No one can confirm those who shot the man though the population points accusing fingers to the military.

            In the same light, the corpse of a popular Kumba base man of God was spotted around the Railway station in Kumba hours after the gun battle between separatist fighters and ‘Amba’ boys. Reports suggest the popular man of God by name Pastor Thorm was shot in front of his building. At press time we couldn’t confirm if it was the military or the ‘Amba’ boys that shot him.

            Also around Three Corners Fiango, copses of persons shot could also be seen with the families of some not courageous enough to identify and collect the corpses for fear of been implicated by the military.  We couldn’t independently confirm if the corpses were those of the ‘Amba’ hit and run soldiers or those of innocent civilians caught by stray bullets in the course of the crossfire. Still to be confirmed reports puts the dead of Monday’s ghost town in Kumba to seven.