About half the village population of Wone Bakundu, along the Kumba-Mamfe road is currently helping Gendarmes in Konye sub division to determine what triggered the barbaric act of burying alive of one Martin Njumbe Ikose, father of a Pentecostal pastor based in Yaounde.

This gruesome incident of Friday 2 July 2010 has been described by judicial authorities in Kumba and environs as “the worst manslaughter in modern times.” 

M Ikose, suspected of bewitching a nephew to death, was gripped by hefty young men on the graveside of his nephew, forced into the same grave and covered with earth alive, in front of his wailing and struggling Pastor son.

“I watched in utter disbelief and shock as my father died in the cruelest manner. I could not do anything because I was bound by strongmen,” the Man of God told reporters.

Recounting the ordeal to the press in Kumba, Pastor Zachariah intimated that, Wone villagers had secretly planned to kill his father after the death of his unnamed nephew whose corpse was awaiting burial.

He maintained that the elders of the village pretentiously went about the burial arrangements without any suspicion that someone will come to harm.

“They worked along with my late father, some sympathising with him on the loss of his relation,” he told press men.

When they proceeded to the grave, a corpse was lowered down the grave. Immediately, heavily built youths of the village surrounded the late Njumbe Ikose, grabbed him and threw him into the grave before raining down the hole with hard lumps of earth to cover him up despite his wailing.

Asked why his father received such cruel treatment from his own people, Pastor Zachariah said the late man was accused of killing his nephew through witchcraft. Thus, the villagers decided to mete out to him capital punishment of the land.

Konye Gendarmes were brought in. They, however, succeeded in arresting about half the entire village including those who spearheaded the gruesome act. The arrested persons were still detained at the Konye Gendarmerie Brigade pending their transfer to the Kumba Prison to await trial.

Some uniform officers who refused to be identified affirmed that jungle justice has taken the centre stage in Konye subdivision as there seems to be a total breakdown in the rule of law in this area.

It would be recalled that late Chief Molomgwe of Mbakwe Supe was killed by his own subjects on allegations of witchcraft. The situation is further made worst by the insufficient presence of the forces of law and order in the subdivision coupled with the inaccessibility of a good part of the subdivision.

During the last council session, the councilors were heard decrying the scanty number of gendarmeries in Konye, about four to five of them to a large population of about 20.000.