Nkwen tradition seals student's room for man-slaughter

The Nkwen traditional authority popularly called the kwifor or ngumba has sealed the room of a student in Mile three Nkwen. The sealing took place this Tuesday, May 24, 2016, following the stabbing to death of one Oben who was visiting a girl friend.

An eye witness and a neighbour narrates to hilltopvoices.org that Oben has been a regulate visitor to the room of Orock Mirabel. About a month ago, Oben and one Obi all from the Bayangi land in the South West Region discovered that they were sharing the privacy of Mirabel. After a long exchange, the eyewitness explained that both men settled peacefully without making the decision public.

Monday, May 24, 2016, Oben visited Mirabel. When Obi learned of Oben’s presence, he too decided to visit. This time, Mirabel will not open the door for Obi. The neighbour recounted adding that the exchange between Mirabel and Oben with Obi outside was in the Bayangi mother-tongue. At some point, the witness noted; Obi left.

Early this Tuesday May 25, 2016, Oben came out of the room to fetch water another witness who was around explained with Mirabel as the source. As the “couple” returned into the house, Obi stepped in and blocked the door. After blocking the door, he then picked a knife from Mirabel’s room. It is the knife he used to repeatedly stab Oben who will die a few minutes later.

As Mirabel watched Oben die in a pool of his own blood, Obi took on his heels to an unknown destination at press time. As the population moved in “Mirabel could be seen holding unto Oben screaming over the gruesome murder of the man she called her husband to be” the witness explained.

According to the paramount ruler of the Nkwen People HRH SF Azehfor III on whose land the act was committed, such an act is an abomination. Traditionally he noted it is caused by a generational course and such a course must be stopped from spreading to other members of the community. Fon Azehfor III explained justifying why a traditional injunction was placed on Mirabel’s door.

While confirming the above narration as what they gathered upon arrival at the scene at about 8:30am when they were informed of the incident, the Police officer who preferred not to be named added that Obi the accused killer leaves just about 20 meters away from Mirabel’s host residence. The Officer explained that on arrival at Obi’s hostel, Obi’s door was wide open with everything in place and the only identification document they saw was Obi’s ELECAM vote card from where they learned he was 22 years old.

According to the same police officer, Mirabel 20 and Obi 22 are all first year students at St Louis University Institute Bamenda (though the school administration is denying the officer said) while the deceased Oben is a teacher waiting integration into the public service.

The police revealed that Oben equally has a hospitalized woman in Kumba considered his wife whom he left before coming for his Bamenda based student-friend.

After all enquiries, Orock Mirabel has been taken by the police for questioning, Oben handed to the uncle for the mortuary while Obi is nowhere to be found.

Considering the event as an abomination, the Fon of Nkwen says the Kwifor will give a list of things for the house owner to provide before the cleansing is done. “it is only after that that someone will be allowed to open the door and use the room.

HRH Fon Azehfor III talking to hilltopvoices.org regretted the increase distraction noted amongst students. Benchmarking today’s student life in his Fondom and his days as a university student, the monarch encouraged the students to respect their parents and concentrate on their school work for a better life tomorrow. While acknowledging that Nkwen is fast growing with many people coming, he maintained that all those residing in Nkwen are sons and daughters of the Fondom and consequently must respect the customs and traditions of the Nkwen.

With the sealed door, blood could still be seen flowing out of the room indicating the large quantity of blood Oben lost before his death. As it is now the blood will stay as such until the traditional rites are performed.