A tragic incident unfolded on October 9, 2024, in Bamunka Village, leaving the community in shock and mourning. A military operation targeting separatist fighters collecting liberation tax money from a group of mourners accompanying a corpse from Ndop district hospital to Messi quarter resulting in the accidental deaths of three civilians and injuries to many others.
The incident occurred when soldiers, aiming to neutralize the separatists, opened fire on the group, tragically missing their intended targets. Two of the victims identified were Alice Bakwenyi and Lucas Mohnchoh, commonly known as ‘Pa mom.’
The community is now grappling with the devastating consequences of the tragedy.
Some have suggested that the various kwiffon regulatory bodies in the affected villages should consider imposing a ban on group movements of people behind corpses from mortuaries as a temporary measure to mitigate the risk of such deaths.
However, the decision to implement such a ban is a complex one, as it would involve wei
ghing the potential benefits against the cultural and emotional significance of these rituals for the community.
Source: Cameroon News Agency