Boy Disappears After Pressure To Join Separatist Fighters
The whereabouts of a boy whose names we go as Obi Franklin is uncertain after reports that he had been forced to join separatist fighters in the troubled Anglophone zone in Cameroon.
According to family sources, Obi Franklin is said to have been persuaded to join the Ambazonian fighters who are fighting for the independence of Southern Cameroon.
We are told that on several encounters, the fighters have confronted him and asked him to join them and he has always refused to accept their proposals.
He is reported to have received many life threatening messages of how he would be killed if he does not support them in the attacks or financially.
Sometimes in August of 2019, family members hinted that he was the target of a kidnap by the fighters for refusing to join them.
Since then, Obi Franklin has not been found anywhere around and this has raised dust amongst the community.
Security forces on the other hand got wind of the fact that separatist fighters are in communication with Franklin and are also trying to explore such communication to get to the separatists fighters.
They have stormed their family residence in looking for him but he is nowhere to be found.
It is alleged that the fear of being linked to security officers and being termed as traitor of black leg has contributed to disappearance of the young man.
It is not clear where he maybe as family members are also not certain if he is in nearby Nigeria like many other youths fleeing the troubled regions or maybe somewhere else hiding for safety.
Obi Franklin, like many others who are in this situation, if apprehended, risk being charged with acts of terrorism according to the dreaded anti terrorism law in Cameroon which has been heavily criticized by human rights organizations.
This law allows civilians to be tried in military courts and attract a sentence of 15 to 25 years and at worst a life sentence.
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