At the moment, the conditions under which their release was obtained are not officially known, although security sources claim that the hostages were abandoned by their captors when they realised that the noose is tightening around them. This suggests that no ransom was paid as required by the hostage takers.
Nevertheless, the students claim to have been tortured “with machetes and given lashes” by their captors. Information confirmed by several hospital sources who point out that they have noted minor injuries and bruises on the bodies of hostages.
Similarly, the services of the Governor of the Southwest Region indicated that the 20 students are currently receiving care in a local hospital.
According to academic authorities, the 20 students are part of the football team of the University of Buea and were to take part in an internship as part of the preparations for the upcoming university games.
Recently, secessionist militating for the independence of the English-speaking regions of the North-West and South-West, where 20 percent of the country’s population lives, have been carrying out kidnappings to demand ransom payments.
The death of several of their military commanders has led to an increase in terrorist acts by secessionists, with racketeering as the main concern. This is far from the demand for “the independence of their region” for which they are supposed to fight.