By Joseph Chongsi Ayeah
Since the dethronement of Fon Vugah and the installation of Vubansi a deep friction has been ongoing between the Kedjom Keku people and the administration of Mezam. The administration denounced the sacking of Fon Vugah but the same administration took no meaningful steps to address the situation. When peace returned to the village, the administration made attempts to re-enthrone the banished fon. On the 29th December 2005, the Senior Divisional Officer of Mezam went to reinstall the banished fon but met fierce resistance from the villagers.
The planned installation was shifted. For one and half year after that Fon Vugah wandered in the wilderness. His first refuge was at the fon’s palace of Nkwen, then at the Fon of Mankon’s palace. He returned to Kedjom Keku on the 19th of January 2006 to meet his death.
The fon returned to his village at 2 am and moved straight to the palace. The village was alerted and a crowd gathered. Fon Vugah was arrested and savaged by the villagers. He was dragged on the tar to the boundary between Kedjom Keku and Bambui were he torched to death. His private residence was ransacked. It is reported that some smart members of the Kedjom Keku fondom deceived Vugah into returning under the pretext that he would be re-instated. No sooner had he gotten into the palace that the other members of Kwifon rounded him up. He was taken into the Sacred Shrine where the paraphernalia of “chieftaincy” was removed from him. The Chief celebrant of this macabre rite called out his name three times and Vugah was no longer fon. Kwifon then told the fon to leave the palace. As he went out he met his own warriors singing war songs. They let him go only to pounce on him later and then torch him.
For more than one month after that the corpse of the assassinated fon lay at the Bamenda Mortuary pending burial arrangements. The Kwifon of Kedjom Keku wrote to the administration of Mezam warning that the fon could not be buried in the village. The administration on the other hand insisted that Vugah Simon be buried in the village. On January 31, 2006, the North West Fon’s Union added their voices to that of the Mezam administration and insisted that Vugah Simon must be buried in his palace in accordance with the customs and tradition of the people.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
Before the installation of the new fon of Kejom-Keku, the Senior Divisional Officer of Mezam, Tado Robison issued a press release the Vubansi installation. Mr. Tado threatened mayhem should “any person or group of persons” proceed with any installation. He was royally ignored. The Fon’s Union did nothing to protect their colleague.
Shortly after the killing of the fon, 61 people were arrested and detained. Twenty of those arrested were released. The people of Kejom-Keku have filed a motion in the court that the rest of the people be released. Since the burial of the fon in February the Mezam administration has gone on a manhunt for the killers of Fon Vugah.
Villagers are being nabbed left, right and centre. The Kingmakers have gone into hiding. The arrests are executed based on a list arbitrarily established by Legion Commander of the North West Province. Featuring on the list are names of some people who had been in detention long before the killing took place. The present fon of Babanki, Vubansi Benjamin, is currently awaiting trial at the Bamenda Central Prison. A gendarme Sub Lieutenant, Niat Gerald, who was part of the hunt for the killers of Vugah, was given a snake beating by some women in the area. He died on his way to the hospital.
The 21 wives of the late fon and 107 children are at large. They are appealing for help of any kind especially food and school fees. There are 35 of them in secondary schools and 32 in primary schools
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