The three children beheaded in Kribi and the missing, but found school girls in Douala are still fresh in the people’s minds.

Wouri and Sanaga Maritime Divisions in Littoral Region are the most affected by bizarre happenings of late. Most of the crimes, especially the killing of young children are said to be pointers to ritual practices. Three weeks back, the lifeless, beheaded body of a harmless two-year-old baby who went missing, was found in Bepanda, Douala.

Before then, a number of young girls were brutally killed and some body organs removed. Three days ago, some three school children in uniform were beheaded and dumped in Kribi.

Also three days ago, three school girls went missing after school in the Douala V Municipality and were found the next day at 1 am, thanks to the prompt deployment of security forces.

The Divisional Officer for Douala V, Jean-Marie Tchakui Moumdie, disclosed that after parents of the missing Form One girls between 10 and 12 years waited in vain for them to return home, they then hurried to the Bonamoussadi Gendarmerie Post and declared them missing. Gendarmes then began non-stop communication with other posts and public security police stations in Wouri that mobilised their men and women for the operation.

After searching from 4 pm on Wednesday, February 23, 2016, the children were finally found at about 1am the following day at the Bekoko Control Post in Bonaberi. According to Jean-Marie Tchakui Moumdie, the children were immediately handed over to their parents in good health. He used the occasion to call on parents to be more vigilant in order to avoid reoccurrences of strange incidents.

Meanwhile, the recent happenings in the region have raised fears among citizens, especially parents with school-going children. Some parents now prefer to drop off and pick up their grown-up children from school. While others assign domestic servants to accompany children to school, working parents now call home regularly to be sure their kids returned home safely.