Bamenda: Suspect Behind Desecration Of Grave Reconstitutes Act, Says Why He Did It
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| Suspect Reconstituting Act At All Saints Bayele Church Cemetry |
By Raymond Dingana
11:40 am, Commissioner of Judicial Police Bamenda Tahr Ako Agbor Ambang leads security officials alongside 35-year-old Toh Peter, suspect behind the defilement of a grave at All Saints Bayelle Cemetery Nkwen, North West Region of Cameroon.
The mission is for Toh to reconstitute what he did on the night of April 15, 2023 at the cemetery where he dug a grave and harvested human bones with the aim of making fast cash.
At the cemetery Saturday April 21,2023, Toh is uncuffed, handed the same tools he used to dig out the dead body.
He starts by removing the crosses, and then uses his foot to apply pressure on the spade and pouring the soil while explaining how it all went.
I left my house at new layout and got here by 11:pm.I finished by 4: am and waited and only left at 5: am. I chose this particular grave because it was far away from the lighting system of the area and no one could see me. I didn’t even know who was buried there,
he said and continues that,
After I had removed the arms, the scent was unbearable so I used detergents to kill the stench. I used a knife to clean the flesh before throwing it away. I later washed the bones in a stream at mile 2 Nkwen before I went to meet up with the client at Old Town Quarter Bamenda.
Asked why he did what he is accused of, he says,
Frustration pushed me to do what I did. I ran away from Kom because the boys were disturbing me. In Bamenda, I didn't have anything to do for a living. So I came for the bones so I could sell and start up something with the money. I also saw on social media how young people were making money from the sale of human bones.
Quizzed on whether he was under the influence of drugs and who were those that accompanied him, he said he was ‘normal’ and was accompanied by no one.
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| Human Bones Dug From The Grave |
Questioned on who his business partners are, he says,
The only person is the one who invited the police. I don't have any other partner. I met someone at Old Town Bamenda and introduced the business to him. So he took me to another man and he said he was interested in buying the bones so I promised to deliver at 5am which I did. He promised to pay me 500000FCFA. I went for the bones after meeting the supposed buyer. As I dey here so my head di hot,
he said in pidgin English and adviced others to stay away from such a business.
Facing the press at the grave yard where the incident took place, the commissioner of Judicial Police Bamenda Tahr Ako Agbor Ambang narrates that,
The case we have is a desecration of a grave punishable under section 274 of the penal code. He was arrested after an intelligence report put at the disposal of the Regional Delegate for National Security who was in contact with his own informant. Haven studied this intelligent report, he mobilized a very strong team notably the rapid intervention team that went to old town and he was apprehended. He came here on the night of 15 breaking 16 April 2023 and according to investigations, he was alone and dug this particular gave to sell the bones to a buyer not knowing he was our informant.
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| Commissioner of Judicial Police Bamenda Tahr Ako Agbor Ambang At The Crime Scene |
He advised the church and others having burial grounds in their compounds to have a good lighting system,
If you come here between 7 and 8 Pm, you would realise that the lighting system is very poor. It's our wish that it is improved upon because it would be a preemptive approach to discourage potential criminals. A fence round the cemeteries will not also be a bad idea.
Society watches have indicated that the quest to get rich fast or die trying, drug addiction, peer pressure, poverty triggered by unemployment amongst others are pushing young persons to embrace crime with many ready to go the extra mile just to make it in life.
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| All Saints Bayele Catholic Cemetry, Nkwen Bamenda |
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