7 days to the presidential elections, over 200 people have been arrested in the city capital of southwest region in Cameroon

Over 200 people have been reported arrested and detained today, October 1st in Buea, Southwest Region of Cameroon as they gathered to mark the 50+ Independence Day of the English Cameroon. Every October 1st, the people of English Cameroon (now South West and North West region) assemble together to celebrate this eventful moment in their history.

English (Southern) Cameroons was the southern part of the British Mandate territory of Cameroons in West (now Central) Africa but lost its autonomy as it joined the Republic of Cameroon, informally in 1961. As a result, since 1994, pressure from some English Cameroon movements has been on constant rise to secede from the French Cameroon.
Among the people arrested were some five journalists who were present to cover the occasion. While, others people were able to find refuge at the Nigerian High Commission in Buea. Meanwhile, others including Mola Njoh Litumbe are under house arrest with HEAVILY SURROUNDED troops.

About five journalists have been brutalized, a statement from one of the journalist Arrested…he writes;

“I write to confirm that Molah Njoh is under house arrest. It is in front of his residence that police men have just beaten me, seizing my Identification (ID) Card. Just few minutes ago. I was with Mua Paul another colleague. We went there to check whether Mola Njoh was still alive given the troops surrounding his home.
As soon as we alighted from the taxi Ho! ho! They called. We presented ourselves and they asked us why we were there, accusing us of coming to support Mola Njoh. Before we could explain, a police officer, name tag Batogo Leonard, gave instructions to a major, "two V police", who gave me a serious slap. They said they wanted to search my bag but I told them that without any warrant I don’t think it would be possible. They were drinking and already drunk. They were headed by a four star commissioner.

After they seize our ID cards, i called the regional delegate for police Owona Theophile who said the troops there are not under his control. It seems they came in from Yaoundé. I don’t know how i managed to escape from their hands abandoning my ID card still in their keeping.
I called the private Sec of the Director General for National Security a certain Nguele, and told him that the attack on journalists is not going to do any good, and that he should inform his boss. I have also called the governor of the SW Koumpa Issa who was just listening to me only to say at the end, OK.

As I left, i received a call form Boudhi Adams of The Post who told me he had been picked up at their office. He was ferried to Molyko and he told me they were to take him to judicial police. His fate unclear. As I write, Boudhi just called that he is being held at judicial police together with Elvis Tarh, on grounds that they received a document I cannot name for now.
Patrick Siani who works with The Post is being detained until now at the GMI with the more than 50 activists I saw there. When I arrived the checkpoint where rallies of parties were taking place i was saw Tamfu Harison of Equinox TV who had his camera seized but later returned. I could not get to him by the time of writing.

More than 50 activists are detained at GMI in Buea around regional hospital annex. 20 or more have sought refuge at the residence of the Nigerian consul general, while others are been held at the gendarmerie legion and central police station.
I have told the authorities concerned that the attack on journalists is simply giving the Struggle for Southern Cameroons independence a different twist. I trudge to write, time for me to get some pain killers after taking a dose of police brutality without ruling out legal action”

source: Facebook and Up Station Mountain Buea