By Ndi Eugene Ndi
That the Divisional Officer (DO) of Bamenda II Subdivision in the Mezam Division of the North West region, Nicholas Nkongho Manchang, is free from captivity is a fact. The administrator who was kidnapped on Tuesday, February 6, at Nseh Makop in Ndu Subdivision of the Donga Mantung Division regained freedom on Wednesday, February 7.
His release is good news no doubt, but how he got it has been shrouded in controversial accounts. While the DO says he made a dangerous and miraculous escape, North West regional Governor, Aldophe Lele Lafrique says he was rescued by government’s ‘valiant’ soldiers.
Nkongho, who once served as First Assistant Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Donga Mantung was on his way to the divisional headquarters, Nkambe to attend the commissioning ceremony of the new SDO, Bassilekin Georges Magloire Emmanuel, when suspected Amba fighters kidnapped him alongside some of his collaborators.
The governor’s version
A video of the administrator being airlifted by a military helicopter went viral early Wednesday. Later same day during the installation of the new Donga Mantung SDO at the Nkambe grandstand, Governor Lele Lafrique said the Bamenda II DO was rescued by the military on instructions of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.
“The said administrative authority was freed thanks to the bravery and professionalism of our valiant military forces as well as the bravery of the abducted victim,” Lele Lafrique said referring to Nkongho.
The Governor said President Biya, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, ordered an immediate military operation when he was informed about the kidnap of the DO.
“Aware of this horrible incident, the Head of State, President Paul Biya, firmly instructed administrative authorities and security services to carry out a swift military operation in order to free the hostages,” the governor explained to the population saying four hours after the launch of the operation, the administrator was freed.
The DO’s confession
Hours after the governor had declared that the Bamenda II DO was freed from captivity thanks to a President Biya – instructed military operation, a short video of the administrator surfaced on the social media in which the Nkongho gave a completely different version.
In the video, the Bamenda II DO is seen glorifying the Almighty God for his freedom before narrating how he escaped from his kidnappers.
“It was by God’s grace that I managed to escape in the night,” the Nkongho says in the video explaining that: “I trekked for 10 hours”.
While the administrator was making the video declaration a voice in the background; apparently the person who was filming was buttressing his narrative.
Other videos and photos also circulated on the social media showed the DO being administered treatment for what looked like blisters on the sole of his feet.
Another version
In what it said was an exclusive, Cameroon News Agency (CNA), reported that the kidnappers ferried the DO and five others kidnapped together with him to Ngarbuh another village in Ndu from where they were expected to cross over to Mbam in Bui Division.
Citing the account of separatist leaders, CNA reported further that the DO fell in a ravine in the heart of the night, “that is when he sustained wounds on his legs”. Unable to get him as they were hurrying to leave before the military deployed to the area approaches, the kidnappers then left with the five others.
The DO then trekked until he was able to find himself in Ntumbaw, where the military took over, the online portal reported.
Others released
While we still do not know whose truth is true from the above narratives, the known truth is that there were more than five people kidnapped alongside the Bamenda II DO.
Neither the DO nor the Governor had disclosed the number of identities of those who were still in captivity at the time the DO gained his freedom. However, on Friday February 9, pictures of people identified to be those kidnapped together with the Bamenda II DO emerged.
In one of the photos seen by NewsWatch, the DO of Ndu is seen standing in the middle of four women and three men; identified as the former captives. Yet, circumstances under which they were released remained a mystery as neither the Donga Mantung administration nor the Governor had communicated about it as was the case with Bamenda II DO.
Two killed
It also remains unclear if all seven former captives released Friday and seen on the photo with the DO of Ndu were part of those kidnapped alongside the Bamenda II DO as the government did not disclose the number.
However, reports hold their kidnappers killed a driver and police officer who accompanied the Bamenda II DO and were kidnapped along with him. An appalling video of the scene of their gruesome shooting in a remote locality identified as Saan in Nkum Subdivision of the Bui Division later surfaced on the social media on Friday.
Governor Lele Lafrique had called on the population of Donga Mantung Division to collaborate with the administration and the defence and security forces to ease their release.
“I continue urging and craving the indulgence of the peace-loving population of this republican and peaceful division, all traditional, municipal and regional authorities and all living forces to continue providing the security forces with all information at hand to free the remaining hostages,” the Governor said at the Nkambe grandstand.
First published in NewsWatch newspaper No 169 of Tuesday February 13, 2024.
