Commercial motorbike riders in Buea arrested

They were protesting against alleged harassment by Council officials. The South West Regional capital, Buea, was in turmoil on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, following an early hour stand-off between the Mayor, Patrick Ekema Esunge, and the commercial bike riders (benskin).

They were protesting against alleged harassment by Council policemen who have been impounding their bikes for plying tarred routes.

Mayor Ekema alleged that a majority of them came from neighbouring Ekona and Muyuka to wreck havoc in Buea. As a result, five riders were arrested and detained, pending judicial action. The bike riders mounted road blocks and lit fire on the tarred portion of road between Mile 17 Buea and Muea.

The police intervened to free the thoroughfare. The Divisional Officer for Buea, Paul Wokam, made frantic efforts to keep the rioting riders out of the highway, but not before traffic on the Buea-Kumba highway had literally been disrupted for hours.

The angry riders claimed that their bikes were impounded as they stopped at the Mile 17 MRS filling station to refuel. Meanwhile, the Mayor has been accusing commercial motorbike riders in the town of illegal transport, especially by plying the tarred road, which is forbidden. As a result, many bikes remain impounded at the Buea Council office for going against the order.