Cameroon: Man Detained for Pretending to Have Bury Child

Effa Tambenkongho

24 February 2010

The 45-year-old man, Bienvenue Ndiefi, who had twins with Eyenga Matilde Majolie, 27, was reportedly co-habiting with Majolie and when she became pregnant, he ran away. Majolie went to the village to have her baby. It happened that she had a set of twins, a boy and a girl. On her return to Douala her elder sister, Mrs Adamou, told her the father of her babies was living nearby and had just had money from a house he sold. She then asked her to go to him for money to take care for the children. Majolie met the father of her babies and they decided to get together again.

The twins are now about 11 months old. When they fell ill, the man supposedly took them to his aunt who is a tradi-practitioner. She gave them a concoction which the baby boy, Raphael O. took more than the sister. The situation became worse and the children were taken to hospital. While in hospital, a family member told CT that the father announced his son, Raphael dead saying he will bury him. The father told the wife who remained in hospital with the other child as he went to bury the boy because according to their tradition in Dschang, a woman is not suppose to assist in burial

But Majolie's family members said the paternity of the children is not legal so they have to know where the child has been buried. Some sources said he deceived them that he buried the child at the Bonawonde cemetery. When they got there they could not see where the child was buried.

He later said the child had been given to his supposed aunt who is childless adding that she had escaped to an unknown direction. After much pressure, Ndiefi tried to escape but was arrested. He was taken to the gendarmerie station in Bepanda where he made a declaration. The gendarmes with relatives searched the whole surrounding but could not find the dead child. However, on Monday February 22, the corpse of the baby was found in a bush wrapped in a cloth different from what was on him when they left the hospital. It is alleged Ndiefi told his brother to put the baby there the day before. It is also alleged Ndiefi just received a suspicious sum of FCFA 1million five hundred thousand paid into his account. The baby has been taken to the mortuary for an autopsy. Meanwhile, the twin sister is said to be sick at Laquintinie hospital.