Akwaya is not safe – Senator Anja Simon cries out!

Cameroon Headlines, Akwaya, June 25 - “…Akwaya is not safe, especially for me as a senator. I could be kidnapped by militants of the Boko Haram. I fear going to Akwaya, since the security is very porous.”

Senator Anja Simon of Akwaya and Chief of Bantakpa Village was speaking to Cameroon Headlines in a chat, Saturday, June 14.

According to the senior citizen and appointed senator, Akwaya is not safe and so, government should give him a battalion of bodyguards to guarantee his safety as he goes in and out of Akwaya. This as he fears he could be kidnapped for ransom by the extremist group.

His words: “With the coming of Boko Haram attacks, I fear going to Akwaya because of the porous nature of the borders. And many people from Nigeria are coming to Akwaya. During local conversations, many say the Boko Haram are mostly concerned with people who have money. So each time I am going, the fear is that I may also be kidnapped since I am a senator. But they fail to know that the senator in Cameroon is not like the senator in Nigeria. So if they kidnap me, I’ll not have any money to give them.”

Senator Chief Anja is of the opinion that government should give him security, given the fact that he is a potential target for kidnappers.

“…If I had bodyguards, At least, I can have confidence. But I have been going there, because I’m working for my people. I don’t mind if I’m killed because I’m working for the people. I believe in the philosophy that the quality of man is better than longevity,” he said.

Even though his village, Bantakpa, is not near the border with Nigeria, Chief Anja still resides in Bamenda and Mamfe Town.

“Even though I met with the minister of defence requesting for more security officers for Akwaya and also equipment and vehicles, not much has been done. For now, I know only of the police posts in Akwaya Town, Dadi, Salifu and Bali.Prevention is better than cure. It is good to say that ones life is not secure in Akwaya. You could be kidnapped and taken to Nigeria. Ones life is not secured,” Anja cried out.