Insecurity: Population Foils Kidnapping Of Mt Cameroon Race Winner In Kai Village
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| Suspected Kidnappers |
By Raymond Dingana
Three young men between the ages of 17 and 24 were captured by the people of Zangtabi Gwokwong and Kai all in Meta, Momo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon.
The suspects are:
Kabirou (17 years old), from Anong in Batibo Sub Division,Suleman (27 years old) from Kai and Yaoba. A fourth suspect is still on the run. They were arrested on Sunday, March 30, after a failed attempt to kidnap the 2026 winner of the Mt Cameroon Race of Hope.
What happened
According to information shared on the ABakwa FM Radio Pidgin News WhatsApp forum, Hamadou Ibrahim had already returned home after celebrating his victory after the Mt Cameroon Race of Hope in Buea.
The suspects reportedly came to pick him up at night on Saturday, but there was a struggle. The people became aware, and the suspects fled and hit themselves on a tree.
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| Suspected Kidnappers |
Youths from Zangtabi and Gwokwong searched through the night and into the day for the kidnappers. With the coordination of the Fon, people in Kai and from Njaah quarter were also alerted.
The kidnappers were later spotted in Kai, but villagers could not respond immediately because the suspects were carrying guns. However, the youths from Zangtabi and Gwokwong worked together and managed to arrest three of them. The fourth suspect who was reportedly carrying a gun, escaped toward Bali.
The suspects were taken to the palace of Zangtabi. There, Kabirou said:
“We saw on social media that Ibrahim took part in the race and won. That is why they decided to come for him, so they could collect the money.”
The Fon’s Concern At The Moment
While the Fon was present at the palace, a major concern came up: the whereabouts of the gun that one of the suspects was carrying.The Fon said that the authorities need the gun and that the suspects must do everything possible to ensure it is retrieved.He also said he pleaded that they should not be killed, saying:
“As a father, I believe you can still change and become good people. But my greatest problem is that gun, and how it can be retrieved.”
Kidnapping for ransom has become common in many parts of the North West Region of Cameroon, partly due to the Anglophone crisis. Criminal gangs now operate with the aim of kidnapping people and collecting large sums of money.
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| L-R:Zangtabi Fon And Ibrahim |
With social media, everyone must be careful especially when faces and personal achievements are shared publicly. The story is that people can earn large amounts from different activities, and some criminals use that information to target victims.



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