Bamendakwe: Irate mob burns down "usurper"’s home

Hundreds of Bamendakewe youths in the Bamenda I Subdivision on Tuesday June 9, 2015 burned down four buildings, two cars and a motorcycle belonging to one Sule, accused of keeping a royal bag belonging to the Fon and passing for the Fon in official occasions.

Mezam SDO, Nguelle Nguelle Felix has promised a swift investigation into the matter. He was accompanied by the D.O for Bamenda I and judicial and security officials to Bamendakwe to see the extent of the damage on the victim’s property which is expected to be worth millions of francs CFA.

According to some villagers who spoke to us on conditions of anonymity, the said Sule has been a close aide of the Fon for a very long time and abused his position to bully villagers through fictitious summons, sale of village land, unofficially representing the Fon in public occasions due to his present physical inability from a stroke suffered many years ago, moving some palace symbols of authority to his residence amongst others.

Some villagers even accused him of using charms on the Fon who always agrees to whatever he says in the palace counsel committee.

His alleged unmasking came following a funeral ceremony he attended alongside the Fon in Bali over the weekend where he presented himself and paraded as the Fon of Bamendakwe. This reportedly angered some youths who accompanied a delegation to Bali and confronted him about it on Tuesday but in response, he fired a gun at them wounding three in the process.

When news of this reached the village youths, they rallied and burned his houses scattered in various parts of the village, two cars and a motorcycle. He reportedly got wind of their plans and took to his heels. His whereabout is not known.

Mezam SDO presumed that the man may have shot the three men in self-defense but said the judiciary will further investigate the matter. This issue has been brewing for some time now. This is not the first incident involving Sule, who just a few months back was accused of stealing a palace stool but the administration instead advised that the village should sit down and solve the problem amicably.