Bui Division endured a weekend of unspeakable trauma as armed Ambazonia separatist fighters launched a relentless wave of kidnappings, extortion, and targeted violence across the division. The scale of the abductions has paralyzed daily life, leaving once-bustling communities trapped in a suffocating climate of fear and betrayal.
The nightmare unfolded across the division, leaving a trail of shattered lives:
Kumbo–Ndop–Jakiri Road
Derick, a patient from Mbivtinmbang traveling to Shisong Hospital, was intercepted by fighters on the Ndop–Jakiri road. He was forced to pay large sums to stay in the vehicle, but was eventually dragged out at Jakiri, taken to an Amba camp in the bush, and released only after his family paid a crippling ransom.
Bamenda–Kumbo Road
Five drivers operating on the Bamenda–Kumbo route were abducted in Kumbo. The separatists accused them of betraying colleagues who were killed by the military in Sop on June 6. One driver was specifically targeted for allegedly celebrating the death of an Amba fighter in a Kumbo bar. While some secured their release with heavy ransoms, others remain in captivity in the bush.
Wainamah–Vekovi Area
Mr. Dominic Nsameluh, a teacher from Small Market Kumbo, was pulled from a public transport vehicle at Wainamah and remains captive. In a separate incident at the same location, popular Kumbo petrol retailer Mr. Walters was dragged off, taken to Vekovi, severely beaten and tortured, and released only after his family paid a massive ransom. He is currently receiving treatment at a health facility in Bamenda.
Kumbo–Oku and Tobin
A woman traveling from Kumbo to Oku was intercepted and kidnapped by fighters from Meluf and released after a ransom was paid. In Tobin, Mami Nsoyuka, an elder and widow of the late Pa Nsoyuka, spent six days in an Amba camp before being released for a heavy ransom. Pa Nsoyuka had died years earlier from the physical and psychological trauma of his own abduction by separatists.
Fear now dictates rule in Bui Division
The relentless abductions have choked off normal travel on the highways leading to Kumbo. Commercial drivers and private citizens now see every journey as a potential death trap or financial ruin, and Kumbo itself is gradually being deserted. Major transit hubs have become ghost towns, stifling economic activity and isolating residents.
Beyond the kidnappings, Bui is also being torn apart from within. Hate and score-settling have turned neighbors against one another. Families are reportedly using armed groups to settle personal disputes by pointing fighters toward rivals for abduction. Most alarming is the presence of paid informants in nearly every community. With no one certain who can be trusted, casual conversations in bars, business disagreements, or personal grudges can be reported to bush camps within hours, leading to sudden abductions or killings.
