The commander of the Oku gendarmerie brigade in the Bui division of the North-West region, Joh Bolivar Idjandja, was dismissed from his post following numerous complaints against him.
“I would like to thank you for a job well done. The Oku brigade commander I told you about last time has been dismissed and sent back to base without a post. It’s thanks to you for letting the whole world know what he was doing in Oku,” an informant told Cameroon News Agency which reported this information.
In November 2023, this media outlet revealed the illegal transactions orchestrated by the commander, in which he was accused of arresting people with impunity and asking them to pay huge sums as bail. He had organized random arrests in 12 of Oku’s 36 villages, arresting more than 50 individuals per village and demanding between 500,000 and 2,000,000 FCFA per person before their release.
“He intimidates these individuals by telling them that if the money is not given, he will send them to Bamenda as supporters of the Ambazonians. These people he uses to collect these huge sums of money are the same people who are fleeing the Ambazonians,” added the source (Ambazonian is the name given to separatist fighters in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon).
The news of his dismissal was greeted with joy by the people of Oku. But local residents think he should pay for his damage. “If you could help ask those responsible to detain him so that he can pay the money he collected from the people of Oku before he is released. share, we will be very grateful to you,” said a villager.