Homemade bombs explode in Buea, SCNC accused

Hostels of some students from Francophone Cameroun studying in the University of Buea were a focus of strange attacks over the weekend.

The attacks similar to the kind usually carried out by the terrorists group Boko Haram, according to a photographed letter left behind by the perpetrators were carried out by extremists of the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC. However, the national SCNC has vehemently distanced itself from the act.

At about 12:10am Saturday night, May 23, residents of University Quarter One in Molyko said they heard something explode like a bomb in one of the hostels.

A resident of the quarter who only wanted to be referred to as Besong recounted to The Cameroon Journal what happened.

“At about 12:10am this Saturday morning, we heard a loud noise as if a bomb had exploded. We immediately came out, but we were advised by our father not to leave the house. He said it could be a Boko Haram attack, and we saw reason with him. Shortly after that, we heard another loud sound and shouts. We came out this time and discovered that the first explosion had taken place in one of the rooms of a nearby compound,” the eyewitness said.

He went on; “Frightened, we went to the Molyko Police Station to inform them of what had happened, but the woman on duty (was having a bad day); she said she had staked her money to a gambling race and her favourite horse did not run. She ordered us to leave and come back on Monday. The police, however, came in the morning and we followed them to the room.”

At the site of the first explosion, a few metres away from the University of Buea fence, our reporter saw nails and other sharp objects littered on the floor of the room. The louvers shattered to the floor and bed; some items at the balcony from where the locally made explosive is thought to have been directed into the room were burnt.

Though the police are said to have carted away every useful piece of evidence, those who accompanied the police to the crime scene said they took a video and a photo of a note left behind by the attackers who claim to be members of the SCNC.

The note reads: “We have decided to fight back; we will not stop until we get rid of your filthy presence and corrupt influence. Southern Cameroons is NOT La Republique du Cameroun, Annexationists LEAVE our territory.”

The student whose room was bombed is said to have travelled to Douala where she passed the night. Sources say she and her father were later called back to Buea by the police for questioning.

In attempts to get officials’ view of what happened, we went to the Second District Police Station in Molyko where one of the Police Officers on duty confirmed to The Journal that one of the two attacks that night took place around the University Junction in Molyko. The officer said he was not on duty when the incident happened, but said two other colleagues had gone to the scene.

Since she couldn’t give us details of what they found out, after hanging around for a while, the Commissioner came in, but told our reporter to go and get information from the Regional Delegate for National Security under the guise that he cannot grant interviews without getting clearance from hierarchy. Attempts to get to the regional delegate by press time were however, unfruitful.

Contacted by phone to comment on the attacks, Nfor Ngala Nfor, Chairman of the SCNC said he was unaware of any such attacks. Distancing his group from the attackers, he said there are other organisations that go by the abbreviation SCNC.”

“I have no idea. I’m hearing it from you. We have made our position very clear that we’re not out for any kind of violence. We stand on that. If anybody is doing anything in the name of the SCNC, then the person is trying to carry out some blackmail. This is cheap blackmail. Those behind such attacks should own up if their case is genuine,” Nfor Ngala said.

In the meantime, a group calling itself the Southern Cameroons Revolutionary Council, on Wednesday May 20 in Ndamukong Street, Bamenda, declared the independence and restoration of the statehood of the Southern Cameroons.

In the restoration speech, Aaron Ngwa, their leader, who also goes about as an Evangelist, said, he has been called by God to free the Southern Cameroons from the bondage of La Republique du Cameroun. His restoration speech outlined 31 reasons why the independence was coming now. A video recording of the declaration also carries the national anthem of the Southern Cameroons, its national flag as well as the map of the territory.

Ngwa said in the days ahead, moves will be made to concretise the independence. A “State dinner” was also organised at Ndamukong Street to honour the declaration occasion.