17 illegal immigrants apprehended in Kumba

17 immigrants from about five West African Countries seeking greener pastures in Cameroon have been arrested.

The immigrants, seven from Bukina Faso, 4 from Ivory Coast, and 2 each from Senegal, Togo and Guinea Conakry respectively were apprehended in Ikilinwindi, a village in Konye Sub Division, located at the outskirt of Kumba along the Kumba-Mamfe road, thanks to the joint efforts of elements of the Kumba Central Police Station and the Special Police Rapid Intervention Unit better known in French as ESIR, during their daily patrol, Wednesday January 21, 2015.

According to the immigrants, some of whom possesed just the National Identity Cards of their respective Countries, they came to Cameroon, through Nigeria with their original intention not to make Cameroon their host Country.

The immigrants opined that some of them were on their way to Gabon, Equatorial-Guniea, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola in search of gainful employment.

The Central Police Commissioner for Kumba, Wilson Elong Njume Njikang is reported to have opened up investigations and ended up presenting them to the Senior State Counsel for Meme, Justice Afah Emmanuel Annah. According to the press they have been repatriated to their various countries.

But how they entered Cameroon and made it up to Kumba without being caught despite the heralded tight security at the borders, is still an unanswered question.

The SUN gathered that while in the border town of Ekok, they negotiated their way thanks to the help of some Cameroonians after having paid them huge sums of money. One of the immigrants hinted this Reporter while at the corridors of the Kumba legal department that, they each paid a driver FCFA 40,000, to transport them from Ekok to Douala, “but its rather unfortunate our plans didn’t bear any fruits as the driver abandoned us to our fate half way of the journey and that’s how we fell into the waiting hands of the police”, the immigrant said.