Highway robbers resurface in the East

Many travellers and road users fell into their trap between Tongo-Gandima and Colomine on Friday, October 31, 2014.

Despite the work done since 2007 by various elites of the mounted police forces and the rapid intervention battalion (BIR) to eradicate this phenomenon in the eastern region, they have suddenly resurfaced in the area. Friday, October 31, 2014, a band of armed attackers operated between Tongo-Gandima and Colomine, two villages in the District of Ngoura, Lom-and-Djerem Department.


According to information from local residents confirmed by local security sources, "the operation took place in the morning, in a Grove located 7 km from Tongo-Gandima towards Colomine. Two vehicles coming from this village of the Stampeders fell into an ambush laid by an armed gang who stripped all passengers on board off their goods and merchandise". As per the explanation by a victim, "when they saw our vehicle coming, these robbers requested the driver to stop by warning shots. Then they asked us not to yell and simply give them our phones, gold and silver, for them to let us live".


Without the slightest resistance, the attackers robbed their victims of all their belongings, before letting them continue the journey. Informed of this attack, the Commander of the gendarmerie brigade of Ngoura and his elements immediately descended to inquire into the situation and initiate an investigation.

According to elites of the town who came to do some shopping in Bertoua yesterday Sunday, "these attackers resumed their dirty work several weeks ago and they are taking advantage of the absence of the elements of the BIR often stationed in the villages of Woumbou, Colomine and Arigue, at the front against Boko Haram in the far north of the country."


As regards their procedure, "these road blockers regularly act very early in the morning. They are usually positioned in places where the road is very bad to track down passengers who disembark from Colomine" says a resident of the town who argues that "the permanent presence of the elements of the BIR in this area is direly needed in the sense that it will deter these robbers from operating on these highways.


The same source said that "these highwaymen operated initially in the night. They placed sentries at the ends of their area of operation. And they watched the arrival of vehicles which, once in their zone of action, could not do otherwise. "Others however hide in bushes to monitor vehicles they intend to attack.