Rescue workers have been digging since last weekend to recover the bodies of Edwin and Cletus Tumassang in Njong Village.
The people of the neighbourhood of Njong, Santa Sub-division in Mezam Division of the North West Region have not been at ease with themselves since a collapsing pit buried two brothers on Thursday, July 2, 2015. It was indeed a dark day for 37-year old Edwin Tumassang and his older brother, Cletus Tumassang.
The story goes that Edwin, who is also known in the neighbourhood as a Prophet, brought up the idea of digging for gold in their father’s compound. He initially dug two holes without succeeding to fetch the expected mineral. The third hole raised hopes when barely after two metres, he reportedly discovered some glittering stones that looked like silver. Excited at the discovery, Edwin solicited the assistance of more people in the digging exercise. He also invited his older brother, 39-year old Cletus from Douala to rush home and discover the gift of wealth in their ancestral land.
On arrival in Njong, Cletus went straight to the extraction site where he found Edwin down the pit with the help of an Electric Lift and a standby water pump to help drain the quantity of water emerging underneath. Edwin Tumassang emerged from the pit with some minerals and showed to Cletus. He returned to it and re-emerged with a huge quantity. He was accompanied in the third descent of no return by Cletus. Some passersby blame the Electric Lift which failed to take them back to the surface following a breakdown.
A courageous female collaborator at the extraction site is reported to have attempted in vain to rescue the Tumassang brothers, blaming the instability of the pit’s walls. Even officers of the Bamenda-based Army Rescue Unit who later arrived at the site could not help matters. As at press time, the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam, Felix Nguele Nguele, told Cameroon Tribune that caterpillars were still digging to recover the brothers, dead or alive. An indigene of Njong village, John B. Ndeh and the Secretary General of the Santa Council, Daniel Kietawah, also told Cameroon Tribune that they were at a loss why the bodies had not yet been recovered.
