A man whose only name Cameroon Tribune got as Pa Nikobo, a farmer in Mundemba, Ndian Division of the South West Region, was reportedly attacked and killed recently by an elephant in his farm.
As the story goes, Pa Nikobo, who was said to be a retired Game guard, went to his farm to harvest plantains that had to be used later that day for his daughter's birthday celebration. On reaching his farm, CT gathered, he discovered elephants have invaded his plantation and destroyed young palms he had planted. In his attempt to replant some of the palms, he was attacked by an elephant that inflicted severe wounds on him.
The victim, who was also believed to be a poacher in elephants, is said to have struggled to escape but gave up the ghost shortly, following profuse bleeding.
The sad incident is said to have provoked anger among the villagers who stormed the Senior Divisional Officer's office with the corpse of Pa Nikobo. The villagers are said to have told the outgone SDO, Peter Tieh Nde, who was on his last days in the Division, to bury their kinsman as the government representative in the area. The villagers are said to have blamed the SDO for refusing to grant them authorisation to kill elephants some months ago.
The SDO at that time is reported to have calmed down the embittered villagers, promising that government would give the late Pa Nikobo a befitting burial and sponsor his children in school beginning from next academic year.
It should be recalled that elephants invaded farmlands in Mundemba recently destroying crops. The villagers then stormed the SDO's office demanding authorisation to kill the animals which was denied because elephants, just like some wildlife, are protected by the 1994 Wildlife laws in Cameroon.
