The Fon of Bambalang, His Royal Highness, Yakum Kevin Teuvih Shumetang II who doubles as the President of the Northwest House of Chiefs was released on Thursday, June 1, 2023. He was set free following a military raid in the Bui division where he had been held hostage for nearly 18 months in separatists’ captivity.
According to sources, he was released, thanks to the collaboration of a former Separatist fighter self-styled ‘general’ Mbashie Ferdinand alias Shina Rambo who informed the military on where the Fon was being kept.
Since Fon Yakum Kevin was abducted, the North West House of Chiefs, exerted very little pressure on the government to secure his release.
The silence of the authorities and Fons Union was questioned by some villagers who were worried about their Fon “Yes of course they abandoned him, for close to 18 months he has been in captivity, the government and Fons Union did nothing to secure his release” a villager said
The President of the Northwest House of Chiefs was on 7 December 2021 kidnapped by armed separatists. He was being interrogated over his close ties with the Francophone-dominated Cameroon government military deployed to the English-speaking regions.
This kidnap happened during a planned 84th edition of the Cultural Festival of the Mbaw Yakum People dubbed “Sha’atang”, which is an annual event that had not been held for close to 4 years due to the Anglophone crisis.
A senior Ambazonia official hinted to the media that Fon’s arrest was ordered by “General No Pity” who himself hails from Bambalang.
Amid speculations that he had been killed, he surfaced in a video on November 13, 2022, and revealed he was being held by “General No Pity”.
In the video which was visibly masterminded by the separatists, the traditional ruler who appeared in shabby clothes said: “I came out today to cry because I have been held by No Pity and he has vowed not to release me until his family members are released. I am using this medium to cry and to plead to the powers that be that they should facilitate the release of his family members so that I can be freed.”
Source: Cameroon News Agency