The affair which is currently shaking Cameroonian public opinion illustrates the darkest excesses within the police. As revealed by 237online.com, Gendarme Abdallah, stationed in Assighassia in the Far North, transformed himself into a kidnapper in Douala last August. A change that leaves a bitter taste when we know that this man was supposed to protect citizens, not sequester them against a ransom of 3 million FCFA.
International tracking bears fruit
In what amounts to a scenario worthy of the greatest detective films, the criminal policeman’s run came to a spectacular end. After collecting the ransom and fleeing to Turkey, Abdallah, accompanied by his alleged accomplice Macho Messaac Simo – also a gendarme stationed in Pinyin in the North-West – was caught up in his past. The Turkish authorities, in a gesture of international cooperation, carried out their immediate expulsion to Cameroon.
SEMIL takes action
The two fugitives now find themselves in the hands of SEMIL (Military Security) in Yaoundé, a situation which reminds us that no one is above the law, even in uniform. This case raises crucial questions about the recruitment and psychological monitoring of law enforcement, while demonstrating the effectiveness of international collaborations in the fight against crime.