Oben's case takes bizarre twist

Oben Maxwell, persecuted SCNC leader appears to be facing the kind of treatment Jesus Christ faced on his arrest by King Herod. Prior to his arrest, Oben was SCNC Yaoundé leader and National Coordinator of the Southern Cameroons Youth League, SCYL. He was arrested on February 2, 2014.

The Buea Military Tribunal which was hearing Oben’s case has now handed over the matter to the Buea magistrate court. Just like Jesus who Pontius Pilate transferred to King Herod claiming incompetence to try him, the tribunal has declared its incompetence to hear Oben’s case. The ruling was made on March 26, during a hearing at the court’s headquarters.

The judge in his ruling has now charged Oben with secession and holding of illegal meetings. The new charge runs contrary to the initial accusation which charged him with attempts to incite a civil war and possession of arms.

According to Ayah Paul Abine, Supreme Court Judge, Oben has already served the maximum sentence for one of the charges even before trial, were he to be convicted at the end of the process. Ayah made the statement on a Facebook post on Saturday, March 28.

Ayah in his post also nailed the so-called SCNC activists for abandoning Oben to his fate in the hands of justice. He said, “What is most intriguing about it all is the nonchalant attitude of the big-mouthed self-proclaimed SCNC leaders and members who in their impenetrable hideouts anonymously vent their venom on idle media on illusory patriotism, leadership and sacrifice.”

Oben Maxwell has been abandoned to himself but for the altruistic lawyer and a few concerned persons, particularly the Mutengene duo, who have identified with the sufferer.

“In the end, Oben’s wife like Mary the mother of Jesus is following the husband with an imposed cross. And their children have been branded with indelible scars of eternal sacrifice for the general cause: a cause they have not identified themselves with of their own volition.” Ayah wrote.

The latter court has not yet scheduled a date for a hearing. It is not yet clear if the court would admit the charge against Oben as evidence for incrimination.