CI-NEWS

Gov’t disowns Cameroonian soldiers turned gangsters arrested in Lomé.

2020-06-08

No: 501

Gov’t disowns Cameroonian soldiers turned gangsters arrested in Lomé.

The defence ministry has disowned five Cameroonian soldiers, including two sergeants, presented to the press last Wednesday by the Togolese judicial police as robbers.

A statement from the communication chief of the Ministry of Defence, Colonel Atonfack Guemo, issued on Saturday, admitted that three of the gangsters were in fact from the Cameroon army but refused to take responsibility for their action.

Virtually delivering the thieving soldiers to their executioners, Atonfack confirmed that they were caught by Togolese Judicial police when one of them “allegedly tried, using a firearm, to snatch a heavy-duty vehicle owned by a Togolese businessman.”

The group of five, he revealed, was led by “gang leader, Ntanga Mogo Clément Didier alias “Tony”… a dangerous convicted gang member, a multi-recidivist, sentenced several times to prison terms, and currently wanted by the Judicial Police Directorate in Yaoundé, which has registered several complaints of citizens abused by him.”

In an attempt to cleanse the battered image of the Cameroonian army, often described as very professional, Captain Atonfack said three members of Cameroon’s forces of law and order who are presumed to have contributed or directly participated in the incriminating acts have been since fired or deserted the army.

The three, he says, are Private First Class Essimbi, previously serving at the Headquarters Brigade; Sergeant Oumarou Abou Fadil, previously working at the Headquarters Brigade, declared deserter since 23 March 2020, and Officer Ewoundjo Elle Serges Hubert previously serving in the National Navy.

Regarding the soldiers, the Captain says “regulatory, disciplinary and administrative procedures provided for in the texts in force in the Defence Forces have all been initiated within the prescribed time limits.”

The Ministry of Defence, he added, “declines responsibility for the crimes committed by these men who have broken organic links with the Service and are completely detached from the service.”

It is not clear yet whether the gang will be tried in Togo or will be brought back home.

It should be recalled that, after an investigation following an attempted robbery and assassination on a Togolese businessman, the DCPJ succeeded in locating and arresting on May 20, the five thugs known as N'tangua Clément alias Tony, 32 years, Ewoundjo Serge, alias Tokyo, 31 years, sergeant of the Forces Cameroonian armed forces, Oumaro Fadil, 32, sergeant of the Cameroonian Armed Forces, Amadjoda Aboubacar, alias Ibrahim, 32 and Kaméni Kévin, 21.

According to the officer Douti Yendoubé, this group of five robbers made up of Cameroonian soldiers had followed the Togolese businessman driving his car to Saint-Jean de La Salle center in Cacavéli in Lomé. Fortunately, during their operation, the victim managed to flee and alert the central direction of the judicial police.

The investigators found automatic pistols as well as 9 mm cartridges on the Cameroonian soldiers-criminals, after they were arrested.

After questioning, they admitted attempting to rob the said businessman but insisted they didn’t come to Togo to rob as advanced by the Togolese police.

“We were stranded in Togo after borders were closed due to the pandemic. I wish to note that we never came here with the intentions of committing any evil…” N’tanga Mongo, identified as the brain of the gang said.

“We had a single evil intention, we attempted to take away the man’s money, we didn’t want to take his car…” He added.

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Gov’t disowns Cameroonian soldiers turned gangsters arrested in Lomé.