2024-04-05 21:20:43
A shocking incident is currently shaking the city of Douala. Unscrupulous police officers are accused of having set up an elaborate scheme to steal a telephone, kidnap a delivery man and extort money from him. A sordid affair which sheds harsh light on the excesses of certain representatives of the police.
A Machiavellian ambush orchestrated by false clients
It all started on Monday 01/04/24 when MN, trader and telephone seller in Douala Ancien 3e, received an order from a certain Michel Amvoumba, alias Platini Drum’s. The latter wants to have a Google Pixel delivered to him for 45,000 FCFA, supposedly to give it to his partner. A first delivery takes place without incident.
But a few hours later, the alleged customer called back, complaining of a speaker problem. MN then offers an exchange within 2 days, time to replenish its stock. Then followed incessant calls and threats from Michel Amvoumba, putting pressure on the trader.
A delivery that turns into a nightmare
On Thursday, a second deliveryman is sent to exchange the defective phone and fulfill another order for a Pixel 3XL at 71,000 FCFA. But there, it’s a tragedy. The deliveryman is brutalized and kidnapped by Michel Amvoumba and his accomplices, who take him by force to the Bonanjo Regional Brigade.
There, he is handed over to gendarme Tsoga Edgard, who demands 5,000 FCFA to free him. An amount that the delivery man pays, unaware that he will then be asked for an additional 15,000 FCFA to recover his motorcycle! A real organized gang racket.
Rogue gendarmes who operate with complete impunity
Meanwhile, the criminals, including constable Tsoga Edgard, disappear into the wild with the phone to be delivered and a charger worth 65,000 FCFA intended for another customer. A significant loot for this gang which does not hesitate to use the uniform to commit its misdeeds.
Worse, once the deliveryman was released, Michel Amvoumba reappeared on WhatsApp to taunt the cheated trader and his lawyer who was trying to understand the reasons for this abusive arrest. A provocative attitude which says a lot about the feeling of impunity enjoyed by these crooked gendarmes.
A scandal that says a lot about the state of the gendarmerie
This affair is symptomatic of the abuses which plague the Cameroonian law enforcement agencies. When gendarmes who are supposed to protect the population turn into common brigands, the entire system is called into question.
It is high time that the authorities take drastic measures to clean up the ranks of the gendarmerie and restore the confidence of citizens. Because if uniforms become synonymous with racketeering and extortion, the security and very stability of the country are threatened.
Cameroonians now expect strong actions. The honor of the gendarmerie and the credibility of the State are at stake. It is imperative that the culprits be identified, tried and severely punished. And that a vast reform movement be initiated to restore the integrity of this institution essential to civil peace. Otherwise, anger and distrust may prevail.