NACACON Statement on the Gruesome Murder of 2 Cameroonians in Nigeria

NACACON mourns the murder of two Cameroonian nationals - FOTSING JOSEPH  and THOMAS NCHOTU TANJONG in Ba'issa Town of Taraba State, Nigeria; 23/06/09.

Fellow Contrymen and women, our Community has once again be shocked by the gruesome  murder of the above named Cameroonian nationals  at about 11am  on Tuesday 23rd June,2009 at Mararaba Village in Ba’Isa area of Taraba State Nigeria; some 45km away from the Cameroon/Nigeria Border in the Abong-She area of Cameroon in Donga Mantung Division; North West Region.

On the morning of Tuesday 23rd June, 2009 at about 10am, we put a telephone call through to Mr Joseph Fotsing’s Zain telephone no. 08028365876,  to the above named persons, who left Lagos Sunday Morning on their way home just to find out how their trip was progressing.These men, who were driving their own  newly bought Car, TOYOTA SEQOAUA JEEP; REGISTRATION NO. LAGOS, BV 802 AGL surprisingly inform us that:

1. they  were speaking to us from some police station in Ba’Isa town of Taraba
    State Nigeria.
2. the police stopped them and asked them if they had travelled that road before to
    which they answered “no”.
3. They enquired from the police the distance from where they were to the border
    and the police informed them that they were 45km away from the border
4. the police latter informed them that they, the police, had received a
    call/report that some men in a Car like their own shook hands with
    someone and his penis disappeared and so they were suspects.
5. the police subsequently took them to the police station saying they, the police,
    have asked the person(s) who made the call/report to come and identify if they
    were the ones or not.

We jokingly asked them the following:         
1. Did the police tell you what made them to suspect you? They said “No”.
2. Did the police find the missing penis in your Car? They said “No”
3. Did the police bring the person whose penis was stolen to see if the penis was
    still there or not?  They said “No”.
4. Have they beaten you people? “Not yet but they are really threatening and we
    are really scared”

We told them to remain calm at the police station and not be frightened as we believe nothing was going to happen. We were terribly wrong.

At about 11am, one hour later, when we put a call to Mr. Joseph’s telephone no for an update and received the shock our lives. A man with a Hausa intonation in Pidgin English answered and said “driver, driver; the people idon die. The people get accident in Katsina”. At a second call a second person answered and said “they burnt them inside motto. They don die”. We asked the man how many people were burnt and he replied “2”. Not  believing, we got across to our country men who speak hausa fluently and a call was put through and the damming confirmation was that the two men were burnt with their Car and load by irate youth in Mararaba Village for allegedly stealing someone’s penis.

Meanwhile, at about 8am,  Mr. Thomas Nchotu  had informed him that they had hired a man said to be the Secretary of the Road Transport Workers in Katsina Ala park to occupany them right to the border in order to give them directions since they did not know their way. The man in question was also burnt and killed.

The burnt bodies are were taken and deposited at a specialist hospital in Jalingo,capital of Taraba State. We sent a report to the High Commissioner who contacted  the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Ministry that officially contacted the police By Saturday,  the Governor of Taraba was contacted and  the families were informed.

The bodies were taken to under police security escort accompanied by the Second Secretary Technical at the High Commission from Jalingo to Ekok on Friday afternoon. Mr Joseph was buried on Sunday while Mr Thomas is yet to be buried apparently waiting the arrival of the wife and children from the United States.

Mr. Fotsing Joseph is a Cameroonian national who has served as a driver with the High Commission for several years and was the President of Grassroot  Association ,an  Association of some Cameroonian  nationals in Lagos while Mr. Thomas Nchotu  a Cameroonian resident in Maryland USA who was on his way for holidays at home.

Fellow countrymen and women, NACACON leadership requires information, advice and if possible, voluntary legal representation to deal with this barbaric killings.

Engr. S.N Muhammed.
National Chairman.
+234 (0)8033528933

Comments

[winifred]

Anything to help!

[Lizzy Bronte]

We as a people need to start taking actions like these very seriously. It could be any of our relatives therefore we should stop this barbaric practices before they haunt us for forever.
Shouldn't there be a legal procedure to such accusations? why would they be detained and later abandoned to be killed?
To me this is a hate crime and the police officers have some answering to do.
Nigerians need to come to civilization really.

[Samm]

The crime is of international magnitude. The government of Nigeria has to be involved and compensate the Cameroonians who lost their families and bring these barbaric, uncivilized ignoramous savages to book.

[Nde]

In as much as I sympathise with huinous killings, may I ask a simple question. What prompted Thomas and co. to travelling by land and more so from the USA. Their movement seems questionalbe so too their deaths.
Dear mourners, accept my heart felt sympathy.
Nde

[ngong]

So what if I decide to travel to Cameroon by making a stop first in Chad to visit friends or check out business opportunities or just for the pleasure of it? Please Mr. Nde stay focused!

[Che Sunday]

I shudder to think that back in the seventies, I used this road several times commuting back and forth from Nigeria to Cameroon while a student in Nigeria. You never can farthom how close one comes close to death until gruesome killings like this occur. To us Cameroonians, our sense of the police is that of armed individuals ready to shot at anytime. The Nigerian police is a different story. Most of them are not armed and command very little respect from the masses. This barbaric act will not take place in Cameroon if these two individuals were in police or gendarme custody.As big and wealthy as Nigeria is, there is still a lot to be desired from the area of service delivery. My heart goes out to the relatives of the dead. May their souls rest in perfect peace-Amen.

[Jam]

Will be glad to chip in .
I believe if this is given the attention it deserves the next time there is an attempt to lynch someone in Nigeria and they find out he/she is a Cameroonian they would think twice.
Any information is appreciated .
May thier souls rest in peace

Jam

[slomo]

who is surprised there are such killings in a jungle,lawless,xenophobic and confused country like Nigeria. Just what can the law do in such a violent and God fosaken country when those killed are cameroonians?
I would strongly advice you to do more of publicity even in the international level to show how dangerous this country is, maybe some NGO may show interest. I am not even informed though living in cameroon;
I think Nigeria,worse of all talibanist muslims being a neighbour to cameroon is more of a curse from God.

[Samm]

I am surprised at Mr. Nde comment why Mr Thomas was travelling by land. I guess you are not a cameroonian to ask that question. I agrre with you completely Jamm And Slomo to need to bring these satanic attitude to international attention

[jad]

I knew Thomas as we grew up and went to the same primary school. hate crimes like the above mentioned is becoming common in Nigeria . Nigerians believe in witchcraft a lot . This is not the first time such a thing has happened.

[Nji]

Nigerians are generally primitive, ignorant and xenophobic people (Not everybody, just most people).
I have visited Nigeria before and you will be amazed at the level of ignorance people exert in their society. They believe too much in witchcraft and other such uneducated crap.

Does Nigeria even have a police force? (Not uniformed idiots)

[Tati]

If cameroon was not so damn corrupted and if customs were not so extremely expensive then those Cameroonians would not have to pass through another country to get to their own. Both countries just have a lot to work on. If something isn't done about this now, it will keep on happening and innocent people will keep loosing their lives. It's definitely time for the Government to step their game up and do something about this now!!!!
And to the man who accused those Cameroonians of such a crime just know that "Your pay will come from the almighty GOD." May their souls rest in perfect peace.

[Shimon]

My heartfelt sympathy go to the bereaved family.I have travelled the same road twice,and this barbaric killing could have egually happened to me.The jealous,hateful,barbaric,superstitious,peoples and tribes on these roads will kill anybody for the sake of money,jealosy,superstition etc.
Thanks to the internet that we could talk about these things now und put the persons and criminals under pressure,what was not possible a few years ago!

[Nkehsera mofor]

The news about the dead of mr nchotu sounded like a tale to me becouse i never knew him until one month before his death a (friend) wrote to me that he has made some economy and has sent us a car through mr nchotu to sell it quickly and sent him money to buy another one and sent. a week before the incident he wrote again and said he is sure the car should be in douala seaport by then; only for him to inform me the next week that MR NCOTU IS DEAD. TO QUOTE FROM HIM. i have photos and his emeils.Cameroon and custom duty kill mr Ncotu. Though one day somebody will die of something.I feel for the family and above all i feel for my friend whose health is not at its best.But i beleive that in situations like this,God will always make a way.I wish the family well.