Police Threatens To Shoot American Citizen In Buea

A police officer in Buea, Thursday, June 13, threatened to snuff life out of an American citizen at the Mile 16 checkpoint in Buea.

The police officer, whose name we got only as Sone, had detained the American citizen before threatening to gun him down if he attempted to leave.

The Nigerian/American, who is a journalist visiting Cameroon, was held against his wish for about an hour before regaining freedom.

The Journalist, Tunji B. Sanusi, was travelling to Limbe from Buea, when he was stopped at the checkpoint and asked to present his documents.

Sanusi presented his passport to the police officer, who confiscated it and refused to let go.

When Sanusi out of frustration asked the police officer to at least identify himself since he was not wearing a badge, the officer refused to do so. Instead, the officer said Sanusi was going to be held alongside his passport for 24 hours, adding that any attempt from the American to leave will be met with gunfire.

Officer Sone boasted that he would “kill the American and nothing would happen”.

At the checkpoint, Sanusi called the Vice Consul of the Nigerian Consulate in Douala, Adesina, who immediately called the Nigerian Consulate General in Buea for prompt intervention.

The Buea Consulate called to speak to the supervisor of Sone, Inspector Innocent, who said he was in the middle of amicably settling the matter.  

Inspector Innocent was more understanding and could not fathom the reason behind the needless threat to life.

The Police Inspector later released the passport to Sanusi even though the Inspector was short of an apology; Sanusi was visibly terrified by just how a police officer could threaten to kill even an American citizen with impunity.

Although there is a travel advisory by the US State Department against travelling to the restive Southwest and Northwest Regions of Cameroon, Sanusi said the Southwest Region of the country is where he and his children were born.

He was educated in the Southwest Region and worked in different media organisations for many years before travelling out of the country.

His father, according to him, was buried in Tiko a town in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. He argued that it was hard for him to completely abandon a place that harbours his placenta.

Meanwhile, the 3^rd Deputy Mayor of Buea Council, Edward Mokosso was apologetic to Sanusi, saying that it was an isolated incident which should not discourage the American from coming to invest in the Southwest Region.

The Deputy Mayor posited that the security situation of the Region was getting better.

It is, however, doubtful if the security of people can be guaranteed in a place where a police officer would boast of taking the lives of innocent citizens without recourse to the consequences of his action.