Stern security checks for persons leaving, coming into the North West region

Adolphe Lele Lafrique, Governor of the North West Region

The Governor of the North West Region Adolphe Lele Lafrique has said people leaving or getting into the region will be subjected to stern security checks in conformity with the 1990 law on the maintenance of law and order.

In a press release dated September 14, the North West chief executive announced that the stricter security checks follow instructions from the Head of State that more measures be employed by the government to guarantee the collective safety and security of persons in the region following growing acts of killing, kidnappings for ransom, looting of property, destruction of personal documents and generalized vandalism perpetrated against pupils, students, teachers, innocent civilians and the military.  

The governor’s release further stated that during regular search operations at the different check points recently, some persons were found in possession of short guns, cartridges, locally fabricated explosives, drugs and other compromising objects leaving government with the impression that activists are trying to increase violence in the region or extend beyond.

Administrative authorities, Security and Defense forces as well as managers of transport agencies have been charged with the responsibility to implement these measures.

Governor Lele Lafrique warned that private individuals, commercial vehicles or motor bikes caught in the act of transporting terrorists or compromising materials and / or facilitating such transactions shall be taken and treated as terrorists.

The release challenged parents, guardians and family members to convince their  brothers and sisters  enrolled by secessionists and misled to take up arms against the government to surrender their weapons to the nearest administrative, traditional, municipal or religious authority,  promising psychological and logistical support for their eventual reintegration into society.

Those based in the Diaspora were called upon to redirect their resources to socio-economic development and education which the governor said they themselves benefited from, instead of manipulating the population and sponsoring socio-economic hardship and illiteracy.

The Governor extended an invitation to them to join the government in Nation building as true and committed patriots. He reassured the population of their safety while asking civil servants to return to their work places, teachers and pupils to be in school and business people to go about their economic activities.

This press release comes a week after the governor signed a communiqué instituting a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the entire North West Region after some unidentified men dug the road at mile 8 Akum.

By Wanchia Cynthia in Bamenda