Gendarmerie parades robbery suspects

The 11, all ex-convicts have reportedly stolen over FCFA 24 million from victims between September 2014 and January 2015.

Gendarmes in Yaounde on Friday, February 6, 2014, presented to the media 11 armed robbery suspects, all jailbirds, who are accused of carrying out a number of raids in the capital between September 2014 and January 2015.


They were later presented the same day to the State Counsel for possible indictment.


The suspected malefactors were picked up in Yaounde and Douala after investigations and following two incidents of sustained shootout at Mobil Omnisport and Mimboman Don Bosco areas of Yaounde between gendarmes and the gang members.


Parading the alleged criminals at the Yaounde I Gendarmerie Company near the Gendarmerie Headquarters adjacent the Municipal Lake, the Commander, Major Donfack Dieudonné, explained that the arrests were carried out thanks to tipoffs by informants and call listings of mobile phones seized in the raids.


Aged between 22 and 37 years, the gang’s favourite target was beer and mineral drink warehouses. Sequel to instructions from the High Command and overseen personally by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam, Major Donfack added, his men swung into action in September 2014.

Also briefing the media on the development, Col. Tantan Francis, the Gendarmerie Legion Commander for the Centre Region, appealed to the public to readily come forth with information that could help gendarmes in arresting more suspected criminals.


Led by Noah Alain Christel alias ‘Pinar,’ the group reportedly collected about FCFA 24.2 million from several victims in Yaounde after attacking beer warehouses in Nkomkana, Caramba-Nkolbisson, Odza and Mimboman.


Items seized from them included a MAC 50 revolver with Serial Number M 3143, a Toyota Corolla taxi with registration number CE 342 EV used in assault operations, a machete and a sachet of Indian hemp.


A second revolver is said to be with Nguema Nguema, alias‘Laurenso,’ who is on the run alongside Bitomol, Eteme, Souley and Padeu. They have all been declared wanted by gendarmes.