They were all members of the University football team, who were carrying out their regular training exercises, ahead of the 2019 University games.

Some close sources to the school, say the first set of boys who came out to the football pitch located at the outskirt of the University, were all taken away, and no one has been contacted yet. No school administrator has commented on the kidnapping yet. Reports say tension is mounting in Buea, as military has embarked on a search mission.

There are similar reports from Bamenda, in the North West region of Cameroon, where the former secretary of state in charge of secondary education, Minister Emmanuel Ngafeeson Bantar, was kidnapped at his Ntabessi residence in Bamenda, on Tuesday night. Reports say he was taken away in his vehicle, by suspected secessionist fighters.

Mr. Ngafeeson, also served as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, in charge of Penitentiary.
Since 2017, when the Anglophone crisis became bloody, cases of kidnappings have become rampant. Victims happily pay ransoms and count themselves lucky when they are released, because some of those kidnapped, are finally tortured, or killed.

Influential personalities, public servants and business persons, politicians, students, are mostly targets. Most cases of kidnappings in Anglophone regions, have been carried out by separatists' fighters, also known as Amba boys, who have been claiming responsibility on earlier cases.

The Former Regional Delegate of Social Affairs, Animbong Aron, and the late Divisional Officer of Batibo, Namata Diteng, all in the North West region, were their first victims. Till date, no one knows the whereabouts of the Delegate, while government had announced the execution of D.O Namata by the said Amba boys.