Alleged Separatist Aid Escapes Security Arrest

 By Ako Arraah In Mamfe

Orock Otto, a Cameroonian studying in the UK who had been accused of aiding separatist fighters in the Southwest Region of Cameroon is reported to have missed arrest recently as he came back home to bury his brother.

Family members recount that on July 28, 2024 security officers stormed their house requesting for him.

Otto’s first conflict with security officers started with the creation in 2014 of a common initiative group known as the Environmental Youths, which was made up young persons, focused on climate change adaptation and environmental protection.

When the crisis escalated in 2018, a majority of youth groups were suspected as being activists or being able to be radicalized hence its members became suspects.

His first open accusation dates back as far as October 2019 when Otto was arbitrary arrested and detained.

He was accused of aiding separatists’ fighters, supplying food items, medications, kerosene and bullets.

Orock was put under pressure to tell security officers what he knows about the fighters and to confess his involvement.

In all of these we gather Orock was innocent of all the charges brought begore him by security operatives.

After spending time at the detention facility and when the family got wind of the idea of what had happened, they came for his release on financial bail in January 2020.

Family contacts say after that, he left the country to pursue his education in the UK in 2023 and in January 2024, he traveled to Cameroon to release his father, an opposition strong man and militant of the leading opposition party.  the Social Democratic Front from the military and would travel back to the UK in February to continue his studies.

In May, during a cross fire between separatists’ fighters and the military, some officers were killed in his village.

Another attack some days after allegedly by the military, resulted in  the death of his brother who is a self-styled  Separatist  Fighter General and that is how he got to Cameroon to bury his brother before news of his presence spread like wildfire.

That would attract security officers to launch a manhunt for him on new allegations of supporting separatist fighters, this time from abroad.

On July 28, he succeeded to escape from security operatives who stormed his family residence in search of him.

Though persons close to Orock Otto have said that all the allegations against him are unfounded, it is not clear if he would go free in security dragnets if apprehended.

Orock Otto, like many other who have been arrested under same situations and charged for aiding terrorism have been tried with the Anti-terrorism law that allows civilians to be tried in a military court, opening up for a jail sentence of between 15 to 25 years and at some point, a life sentence.


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