Limbe Bank Robbery Victim Dies

By Elvis Tah

Elback Assama Aboh, 20, one of the four victims shot during the bank robbery in Limbe on Sunday, September 28, died Sunday, October 5, at the Douala General Hospital.

Rumours had earlier made the rounds that Assama had died whereas he was still receiving medical attention.According to the deceased's sister, Gwendoline Aboh, Assama, an apprentice motor mechanic in Mile 16, Buea, went to Limbe for a weekend.

Reports say Assama, after enjoying with his friends on Saturday night, September 27, was in a taxi on his way back home when they drove into a hail of gunfire."Assama received two bullets, one in the waistline and the other in the pelvic region, while two of his friends were also wounded.

They were rushed to the Limbe Provincial Hospital where they were admitted. Owing to the critical nature of Assama's state, he was transferred to the Douala General Hospital," said Aboh.She said on arrival at the hospital, they were asked to pay FCFA 250,000 on the spot.

Aboh said they pleaded with the doctor and assured him that they would bring the money the following day, but the doctor refused."Despite our pleas and assurances, the doctor refused to touch our patient so we decided to bring him back. One of the nurses, who accompanied us from Limbe, called the director of the hospital and explained to him.

While we were at Bonaberi on our way back to the Southwest that the director of the hospital called us and instructed us to take the patient back to the hospital; and that if the doctor allowed him to die, he was going to explain," Aboh recounted with grief.

She said when they got back to the hospital, the doctor insisted that they should sign an undertaking that they would pay an advance payment of FCFA 100,000, the following day, which they did before they started administering treatment on Assama.

Aboh said the doctors were constantly asking for money such that her poor father, Chief Moses Aboh, hid himself each time he saw a doctor approaching.According to her, the hospital bills became very high that they could hardly foot them owing to the family's lean purse.

"At a certain time, they refused us access to our brother until we could cough out the money they were demanding. It was the second Assistant SDO of Limbe, Sebastian Ateba Mveng, who helped us by calling the Littoral Governor and the Director of the Douala General Hospital, and explained our situation to them before things improved a bit," said Aboh.

She explained that due to their poor financial situation, the doctors stopped using their drugs on Assama. Rather, they asked the Abohs to go find drugs elsewhere whose prices, she said, were exorbitant.

"On Friday, October 3, his condition deteriorated and he was taken to the theatre for the third surgical operation. A different doctor, who performed the surgery, said our brother had an accumulation of coagulated blood in his abdominal region, which badly affected his system. The doctor tried all he could to resuscitate him but to no avail," Aboh lamented.

She said after Assama's death, the hospital authorities demanded about FCFA 1.7 million as accrued bills before they could remove the corpse from the Douala Hospital mortuary. "It was still the Second Assistant DO who intervened and ensured that the bills were waived" before they were given the green light to remove the corpse on Thursday, October 9, for burial.

Comments

[Akume]

Oh Cameroon. This poor lad lost his life because of Biya and his policies, which has rendered 95% of Cameroonians hopeless and perpetually poor, not even capable of affording for basic treatment.
In well organised societies, the government will take 100% care of such victims, but not in cameroon where those born poor under Biya, die poor, not withstanding the circumstances.
May Biyas wife and daugthers start menstrating now non-stop till they die.May Biya never sleep until he dies. The word of man is the word of God.

[UnitedstatesofAfrica]

This is sad! that is why Cameroon needs a low-base insurance policy so in emergencies like this, patients should receive top-notch treatment before any money is demanded.

When shall justice be served? when? Biya's children are busy getting obese from eating all that imported fast-food from France yet the people of his country are dying because of greedy doctors with patched-up degrees from Nigeria and other questionable African states with equally questionable education systems...when shall justice be served? for how long Africa? for how long?

[Legima Doh]

Every now and then we get disheartened by fatal victimization of one or some of ours in La Republique issues.Look how maliciously Assama was treated.The doctors knew he was fro m the southern cameroons and so demonstrated a most celebrated level of xenophobia.How would a sane doctor deny a terminally injured person who still have the potential of surviving the treatment on grounds of money?How could the so called director of the hospital, or the governor or whoever in authority not have given the immediate go ahead of treatment to this innocent youth of ours?How sad?In so doing, the officials are in connivance with the regime's plan to deprive the Southern Cameroonians of every components of life including health care.Assama may your soul rest in peace and may the lord give comfort to your family members and all aggrieved by your demise.La Republique is guilty of bloodshed of our citizens and should be ready when they shall be haunted.
Peace.
Legima Doh,
ScNc,New York

[Ma Mary]

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting the different results = madness so said Albert Einstein.

Same has been happening since the 1960s and 70s and somehow we expect la REpublique to change. Back then, people were shocked at the inhumanity on display in the hospitals of LRC. Then, what did we do? We got occupied and imported the same attitude to our hospitals and public institutions.

This poor boy is just one of thousands who have suffered a similar fate. He will soon be forgotten and we would still magically expect things to change.

[mk the southerner]

this meant that no official ever visited the victims. What a shame.

May his sole see rest in the lord.

[Fon]

This is just one case out of a milion that has been brought to our notice. If this special case was treated as reported, how more of those who fall sick naturally and do not have the means to treat themselves? That is how Cameroonians die on a daily basis.

It is obvious that the Assistant SDO was conneceted with this victim in one way or the other else nobody would care.
Who says the absence of war in Cameroon means the presence of peace?
This is a case that the state was supposed take total responsibility.
May Assama´s soul rest peace.