Villagers burn chief’s car, attack Magistrate over land

Botaland Villagers, April 13, went wild after the Limbe Magistrates Court sentenced seven villagers who had been sued by the Chief of the Village, HRH Peter Metombe Mbongo.

Magistrate Theophilus Tatsi, who heard the over one-year long matter, finally ruled that the seven accused persons: George Mbongo Monjongo, Daniel Essingila Nyao Molongo, Jonas Metute Ekema, Daniel Mbongo Mballa, Felix Boulendeli Molongo, Benjamin Nyao Molongo and Benjamin Nyao Molongo Jr, were guilty for assault.

They were sentenced to serve one year in prison and pay a civil claim of FCFA 300,000 each. The court also ruled that the seven were to each pay a fine of FCFA 30,000 as cost for the hearing or will be obliged to serve an extra three months in jail.

Defence Counsel, Barrister Ngongi, described the judgment as a “travesty of justice.” “This is an example of corrupt justice and we shall fight it to the end,” he said and immediately began the procedure to file an appeal.

But the discontent villagers were still not consoled and became so boisterous and the Court Yard soon became a noisy arena as the villagers hurled all kinds of slangs against the Magistrate and Court officials.

“A Magistrate cannot see that there is a problem in the village, instead of using his office and resolve it, he decides to send people to jail,” some of them said.

Genesis of Case

The problem between the villagers and their Chief started in 2014, following a 17 hectare piece of land that was surrendered by the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, for the benefit of the entire Botaland Village.

The villagers soon started accusing their Chief, Mbella Metombe, for having, single-handedly, established a land certificate for the piece of land in his name instead of that of the Village. They also disapproved of the manner in which the Chief was sharing out the land.

A majority of the villagers were against the Chief. But the Chief said he was sharing the land and giving priority to those who never got land in an earlier land surrender.

The quarrel between the Chief and the villagers escalated when the villagers allegedly beat up some five persons who the Chief had, apparently, hired to fell palm trees that were on the parcel of land. The villagers later bundled them to the village square. They Chief then called the police who came and rescued the five persons and, then, arrested seven villagers said to be the ring leaders who beat up the five hired workers.

The seven were detained and then released. But their case was filed in court and they were charged for assault.

It is the ruling on the said case that sparked anger among the villagers who reacted angrily. The court authorities called in police and gendarme officers who tried to quell the over 200 villagers who had trooped to the court. They shouted in disapproval and could only be dispersed when security officers, who were heavily armed, prevented them from turning the anger to violence on the court premises.

Violence & Destruction

After leaving the court premises at about 4.00pm, the villagers returned to their village where they started a selective attack and destruction of houses of those who are said to be in the Chief’s camp. They latter marched to their Chief’s palace at Isokolo.

Chief Metombe said they came in, pulled his car out of the garage and burned it and went on to destroy any thing that they found outside. “They broke all the louvers as you can see and tables and chairs that were inside the buckaroo,” Chief Metombe told the press.

He denied having bribed or influenced the Magistrate. “The villagers are greedy, that is why they are making all sorts of accusations against me. I have shared the land to them. I have not given any piece of land to anybody outside.” He also denied having anything to do with the case.

“I only sent these people to go and work on Botaland’s land.” Chief Metombe’s wife narrated that they took refuge inside the house when the villagers came; “My husband called the police when we learned that the villagers were coming, but the police could only arrive an hour later when the villagers had already left.”

The villagers are said to have, late in the night, also descended on the residence of Magistrate Tatsi at Bota and are said to have hauled a Molotov cocktail bomb into his compound at about 2.00am. The Post gathered that the fire was quickly put out and security officers were called in. The Post gathered that the unidentified visitors bashed the Magistrate’s car and made away with a bag that was inside.

March To Administration

On April 14, morning, the villagers marched to the Limbe State Counsel’s office wielding placards. They said they had come to express their grievances against what they termed the injustice that was visited on them by the Limbe Court.

“Where is the justice in this country,” one of the placards read. A squad of anti-riot police officers had been mobilised. The villagers were received by the Gendarmerie Company Commander for Limbe, Captain Gerard Awung Messila, who led them to meet with the 1st Assistant SDO, Vincent Nafongo and the 2nd Assistant, Nko’o Ella.

“From what happened yesterday at the court, the population of Botaland crowded the courts. We mobilised forces and went there for peace. Peacefully, they left and gave us the impression that they were satisfied. But we were surprised that they went back and started causing disorder again, burning down the property of some notables and even the Chief’s car,” Nafongo said.

“Right now,” he went on, “we have just realised a huge population coming from Botaland. They say they have come to meet the administration to express their discontent. We have advised them that the decision from the court can be appealed against and there is a procedure to do so. We have asked them to go back and follow the normal procedure,” he said.

He, nevertheless, added that they shall be meeting with the villagers today, April 18, to see how to resolve the crisis.