Armed separatists burnt down the office of the Divisional Officer for Bafut on August 16, 2018. The armed men grouped under the group “7-Kata” set official documents ablaze, including furniture and the roof of the building.

After the arson, local contractors did not bid on the contract to reconstruct the Bafut Divisional Office. Many are those who feared the unknown given that the terrain was uncertain.

The Rapid Intervention Battalion (Bataillon d'Intervention Rapide, BIR), an elite unit of the Cameroonian army, dealt with the problem directly and reconstructed the burnt building.

In a bid to beef up security around the reconstructed office of the Divisional Officer for Bafut, the military engineers erected two watchtowers to permit security officials to identify people as far as one kilometer away from the building.

Speaking at the reception ceremony, Minister Atanga Nji Paul congratulated the professionalism of the military, commending their collaboration with civilians to ensure the security of people and their property.

He said henceforth, watchtowers will be constructed in all administrative buildings to guarantee maximum security and surveillance.

“The work was well done. We are here today to commission the building and I am so impressed. We have some innovations like the watchtowers. When you sit there, you can see kilometers away,” Minister Atanga Nji said.

“This is a sign of a good partnership between the military and civilians. When you talk about the military, people think that they are only out to provide security. The military in Cameroon is professional because they are multidimensional. They have hospitals with professional doctors. We have gone to schools, where teachers are absent, and have found military personnel delivering lessons to schoolchildren. It is a good partnership between the civilians and the military authorities,” the Minister furthered.

He said the BIR has reconstructed about five other offices of administrative authorities torched and/vandalized by armed men in the North West and South West Regions.

Before leaving Bafut, Minister Atanga Nji called on the Mayor of Bafut, Ngwakongoh Lawrence, and the Member of Parliament for Bafut-Tubah Constituency, Hon. Oliver Agho to collaborate with the population, the elite, and the administration for a return to peace in the hitherto bustling town of Bafut.

The Divisional Officer for Bafut, Diobe Elumba Didacus Elumba told the Minister that life was gradually returning to normal in the subdivision.

“I have called on the Divisional Officer, MP, and Mayor to talk to the people. Like President Paul Biya said on February 10, Politics is over. People should go to work. The children should go to school and the population should return to their routine activities,” said Minister Atanga Nji. “Things are moving to normalcy. We encourage the local population to work with the military and civil authorities so we can provide peace and security. The main mission of the Government is to protect the people and their property. We cannot do that if we do not have assistance from the people. We have to work together. Those who are hiding in the bushes should come out and live a better life.”