Human Trafficking: Police investigate Kuwait connection

Two tailors in Kumbo were recently arrested for allegedly selling off women as sex slaves to people in Kuwait at FCFA 1.2 million each.

Demia Burinyuy Mbon and Rene Fonyuy, both tailors in Kumbo, Bui Division of the North West Region, were recently arrested by men from the Public Security Police Station in Kumbo on charges of human trafficking.

They were nabbed following a complaint to the Justice and Peace Commission of Kumbo Diocese by a former victim, Claudette Kemoka. The complaint was forwarded to the police for investigations.

One Kadija, a paternal aunt to Demia Burinyuy Mbon, who is married to someone living in Kuwait, sent Demia Burinyuy’s wife, Bongnke Sidonie and the sister, Marie Claire, to work in Kuwait.

Rene Fonyuy, another tailor, having learned of the opportunity and assisted by Demia Burinyuy, sent his wife, Ngong Hostencia to Kuwait. Thereafter, Demia and Rene Fonyuy started acting as facilitators in Kumbo for those intending to travel to Kuwait.

The cost for each woman was said to have been FCFA 1.2 million while that for men stood at FCFA 1.3 million. Simply referred to as Prosper, Christopher and Emma, said to be a policeman, were agents, while Mrs. Kadija is said to have been the coordinator in Kuwait.

The matter came to the limelight when Claudette Kemoka, who had travelled to Kuwait to work as an English teacher, was given the job of a house help. Given the ordeal she underwent in the hands of one Emer Abdulai and wife, she turned down the job and decided return home.

Emer’s wife reportedly told Claudette she was bought from Demia at FCFA 1.2 million and if she wanted to go back to Cameroon, she should repay the money. Since Demia did not send her return ticket, she was taken to ‘Kadama,’ a slave market.

She finally managed to get in touch with people back home and FCFA 400,000 was sent for her return ticket. Claudette Kemoka was repatriated to Cameroon on August 25, 2015. She later lodged a complaint against Demia for having sold her to a couple in Kuwait, claiming FCFA 400,000, being the cost of her return ticket.

On the other hand, one Wirba Hassan approached Rene Fonyuy to help his younger brother, Halisu, travel to Kuwait. Fonyuy asked and received FCFA 1.3 million from Halisu, which he forwarded to one Christopher in Yaounde to process his papers.

Eventually, Halisu was assisted to travel to Dubai instead. But on arrival, he did not meet the person who was supposed to receive him. He then decided to look for a job without understanding the terms.

Like Claudette Kemoka, he was eventually repatriated. When he came back to Kumbo, his older brother, Wirba Hassan, who handed over the money to Rene Fonyuy, lodged a complaint against him, asking for the refund of FCFA 1.3 million.

Demia Burinyuy Mbon is said to have admitted facilitating the travel of seven girls to Kuwait. He reportedly told police that most of them were his relatives or relations of friends and business partners.