Bamenda: Security forces have launched investigations into the case of a 69-year-old internally displaced woman who fled violence in Bafut, in the North West Region, and has gone missing in Bamenda. The woman, identified as Lem Shiona, was last seen on the night of February 28, 2026, at a residence in the Mile 4 Nkwen neighbourhood where she had been staying since November 2025. According to Cameroon News Agency, her disappearance was reported to the Commissioner of the Mile 4 Second District Police Station by Chewah Marie, the woman who had been hosting her in Bamenda. Chewah stated that she received Lem Shiona at her home on November 10, 2025, after the elderly woman fled from Bafut following repeated threats from separatist fighters. Chewah explained that Shiona had told her about armed separatist fighters burning down their family home and business premises in Bafut due to allegations that her son, Suh John, was collaborating with government forces. During the incident, Shiona and her son narrowly esca ped an attempted abduction. This incident occurred four years after her husband, Suh Jacob, was captured and killed by the same armed group in 2021 after what the family described as 'false allegations.' His body was reportedly abandoned on the street. Following these events, Shiona reportedly developed health complications, including high blood pressure, and lived in fear due to alleged threats from the fighters. Her son later relocated to the French-speaking region for safety, leading to further worry for Shiona due to limited contact with him. Chewah mentioned that Shiona had been living in her residence for over three months before her disappearance. On the night of February 28, Chewah heard footsteps around the compound but initially dismissed the noise as coming from nearby bar patrons. The following morning, she noticed the door to the room Shiona occupied, which also served as her kitchen, was open. At the time, she did not suspect anything unusual. However, as days passed without any sign of Shion a, concern grew among those in Mile 4 Nkwen. Chewah expressed her distress, stating that she has not seen or heard from Shiona since her disappearance. In a complaint filed with the police, Chewah urged security authorities to help locate the missing woman, fearing she might have been abducted and killed. A family member expressed the family's trauma, stating, "Even if she has been killed we just want to know and even see her body."
