In relation to the fire incident that happened last Friday at the Command Post of the Bamenda Territorial Gendarmerie Unit, in the North West Region of Cameroon, the Commander of the Unit has cleared doubts that it could be instigated by separatists.

According to a press release on Monday, October 19^th, 2020 by the Commander Atonfack Guemo Cyrille Serge, Head of Communication Division at the Ministry of Defense dismissed allegations that the fire incident could be related to the armed conflict in the region.

Following investigation carried out at the scene of the incident, the press release shows that the fire resulted from the electricity meter supplying the building.

“The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense informs as follows: In the afternoon of Friday, October 16, 2020, at about 4:30 pm, a fire broke out in the building hosting the Command Post of the Bamenda Territorial Gendarmerie Unit, located at Up-Station,” Commander Guemo said in the release.

“The quick intervention of firefighters together with the combined effort of elements of the National Gendarmerie and residents of the locality made it possible to contain the flames and bring the fire under control at about 7:00 pm,” it further read.

Following recent cuts of electricity in the area, the first the investigations suggested that the fire was accidentally caused by the sudden return of electric power in Bamenda.

After the power outage, the power came with a shock on the electricity meter supplying the building, the commander further explained.

Due to the current socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, certain happenings or incidents have been easily attributed to the crisis, most especially to the separatist fighters, without proper investigations.

Clearing doubts in this instance has been lauded by many on social media platforms.