Elvis Tah
7 March 2008
Chief Moses Ntui Tanyi of Babong Village in Eyumojock Subdivision, Manyu Division, Southwest Province, was reportedly arrested and detained together with 26 villagers by armed gendarmes on February 20.
The Post learned that their arrest and detention was at the behest of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, the State Counsel and the Gendarmerie Commander of Manyu.The villagers had reportedly been at daggers drawn with two timber companies, Société CAFECO and WIJMA Exploiting Company, for allegedly exploiting their forest with impunity.
The Post learnedn the Chief and his traditional council addressed a motion to the Director General of Société CAFECO, Linus Ntumbong Tayo, on February 10, expressing their disdain on the manner in which their forest was being exploited. According to the motion, the company was accused of depleting the ecosystem and depriving the villagers of their traditional hunting and farming activities.
They also accused the company of destroying their ferry that facilitated movement to other neighboring villages, roads and town hall.The villagers also faulted the company of violating a Ministerial agreement that required them (company) to participate in the realisation of some socio-economic and environmental developments within the region.
They promised to use every means available to stop further exploitation of their forest, should the company continue to contravene the agreement and carry on with its exploitation.
A Mamfe elite, Gregory Obasi, told The Post that the Minister of Forestry had suspended the activities of the timber companies, but they clandestinely continued their operations.
The Post gathered that the irate villagers mobilised, attacked workers of the companies and destroyed some of their machineries.
The Director General of Société CAFECO reportedly brought in the SDO of Manyu, Bernard Abona, with some armed gendarmeries who raided the village and arrested Chief Tanyi and 26 villagers. The Chief and 24 of the villagers were released.
Meantime, most of the villagers have fled to neighbouring villages as a result of the raid, The Post learned.
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