The Roman
Catholic Church specifically in the Archdiocese of Bamenda has suffered another
social media attack.
According to the social media attackers and propagators of
the social media attack, “the Archbishop of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province
must know and act fast to avert disaster occurring in his college Saint Bede’s
College Ashing Kom.”
The Message that has been circulating on
social media for not fewer than two days now claim that “the thugs of Biya and
French Gendarmes have kidnapped close to 80 women and children ranging from
5-10years plus pregnant women aided by the German shepherd dogs that they took
to kom and they are locked in the college.”
Following questions raised in the message as
to “who authorized the military of LA Republic Du Cameroun as well as the
French Gendarmes to use Saint Bede’s College as their base and who gave them
the keys of the dormitories?,” the Director of Communications for the
Archdiocese of Bamenda has reacted acknowledging the online attack.
In a reaction Tuesday evening, Rev Fr Tatah
Mbuy admits that “there has been some accusation on the social media to the effect
that the Archdiocese of Bamenda has given the premises of St Bede’s College
Ashing Kom.” He however debunks the information saying “Many parents and
ex-students have expressed a lot of concern and worry. By this release, the Archbishop of Bamenda
disclaims such action and anyone can go to Ashing and verify. It is true that
the military stationed themselves just above the college near the road to
Anjang but definitely not in the college campus or even on any mission land.”
The church has not made a comment as relates
the locking up of women and children including pregnant as well as breast
feeding mothers by the said military as contained in the online message. The
attackers also accuse the church of being involved in a bite and blow with the
regime and warns of looming danger if they enjoy such coexistence.
The social media attack is coming after
another that accused the local church officials for demanding excessive
collections from her members to purchase a car for their retirement bound
Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Essua. The attack on schools owned and managed by
the Archdiocese have also been recurrent with the most recent being the attack
at St Bede’s and Kidnapped of Principal Re Fr William Neba.