Actualités of Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Source: africatime.com

A false alarm of Boko Haram creates panic in Bakassi

According to concordant sources, the farming town of Ekondo-Titi in the Ndian division has recently undergone a shock wave that put on alert all security services, the administration and the authorities of all levels.

And the usual tranquility of this locality was taken short by surprise with three small ULM (Ultra Light Machines) aircraft landing in Lobe Pamol plantations, with Spanish nationality on board three expatriates.

News soon spread in all corners of the locality where populations, surprised by this unexpected visit did not stop praying for this in the hiding places, fearing an attack by the Islamist sect Boko Haram.

Witnesses working for the Lobe plantation reported that these misfortune devices remained there for about 15 minutes, but given that the old airstrip was converted into a corn field, they returned to land at the esplanade of the mission of the full Gospel of the same city.

On the reasons for the general panic, residents confided that it was the first time they have seen such devices in their locality, which quickly led them to believe it was an invasion of Boko Haram.

Informed, the administrative and military authorities of the place did not wait long to mobilize. Therefore, sous-préfet of Ekondo-Titi Edwin Nkenya Ngwana and his men immediately went to the places where the visitors for identification.

Having taken the pulse of the situation, the head of land forces there called for calm from its population.

Sometime after, the first elements of the investigation helped identify three expatriates.

And their trial passports were judged "invalid" by the security services, it emerged that the three were Spaniards, including Benthem Martin Alonso born in 1966 in Madrid, Giménez Carmona born May 22, 1967 in Malaga and Yuste Raminez born October 28, 1971 in Valencia.

Military sources found out that it was a trio of tourists away from Malaga in Spain since April 25, 2014, for a trip of pleasure in Africa, and had several stops in African countries, including in Nigeria after a few days in Mali.

On their landing in Ekondo-Titi, it was learned that they came from Nigeria, and had as destination Malabo in Equatorial Guinea via the airport of Douala, to continue their journey to the South Africa.

They explained that their aircraft developed technical problems during flights, which forced them to a forced landing.

Viewing their road map, they found that there was a mini airfield in this locality, but to their surprise they realized at the time of landing that this has been transformed into a plantation.

With these explanations, the sous-préfet immediately, according to indiscretions, notified the Commander of the 2nd military region, General Sally Mohamadou who immediately moved to Ekondo - Titi with experts from the air force.

Waiting to see the case clearly, the three aircraft remained in Ekondo - Titi while tourists were taken to their country Consulate in Douala, and life gradually resumed its normal course in the region of Ekondo - Titi filled with several military services, including a Navy base.