MoMo operators sit during a protest as they demand stronger security measures in Limbe
By Guy-Bruno Maimo
The city of Limbe is still grappling with renewed fears over rising insecurity following the fatal shooting of a mobile money operator, a tragedy that has prompted swift administrative action and fresh calls for tighter security controls across the city. Reports indicate that Mrs. Arrah Bawak Egbe Agbor, 39, was shot dead on Wednesday, May 6, at about 2 p.m. at her mobile money kiosk at the entrance to the Government Residential Area (GRA) in Bota, Limbe I Subdivision, during what authorities believe was a targeted armed robbery.
According to eyewitness accounts, two unidentified armed men arrived at the scene on a motorbike before one of them reportedly dismounted and confronted the businesswoman inside her kiosk. Witnesses said the assailant fired an initial warning shot before shooting her at close range in the neck and abdomen, then seized her bag containing an undisclosed sum of money before fleeing with his accomplice through the GRA neighbourhood.
Residents in the area rushed to her rescue and transported her to hospital, but she later succumbed to heavy blood loss. A neighbour said a taxi driver attempted to pursue the attackers, but they disappeared at high speed before they could be identified.
The incident has shocked residents, particularly as it occurred in one of Limbe’s most secured and upscale residential zones, home to the Limbe Naval Base, the Central Police Commissioner, and other senior state officials. For many, the attack raises troubling questions about how heavily armed criminals were able to breach the area and escape unchallenged.
Mrs. Arrah, a married mother of four, leaves behind a grieving family. Her husband, Mr. Ashu Takang, was reportedly in Yaounde at the time of the attack and had to rush back to Limbe upon receiving news of the killing. Their eldest daughter, 14, was said to be inconsolable when colleagues visited the family home on Thursday.
The killing triggered outrage among Limbe’s mobile money operators, with more than 200 of them marching to the office of the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Fako, Engelbert Viang Mekala, on Thursday to demand urgent security intervention. The operators described the murder as the sixth recorded attack against members of their sector in less than six months, with Mrs. Arrah becoming the second mobile money operator killed during that period.
Mrs. Arrah Bawak Egbe Agbor, 39, was shot dead on Wednesday, May 6, at about 2 p.m.
Addressing the aggrieved operators, the SDO extended condolences to the bereaved family and assured them of immediate action: “we are going to intensify controls on the motorbike riders. Controls in the night and controls during the day. They must wear numbered jackets so as to be identified,” he said.
Later in the day, Mr. Viang Mekala convened a crisis security meeting with stakeholders and announced new measures requiring all commercial motorbike riders operating in Limbe to register with local councils and wear officially numbered identification jackets. Non-compliant riders risk seizure of their motorcycles as security checks are intensified across the city.
The SDO also disclosed plans to meet with representatives of MTN and Orange Money, as well as agency managers, to better understand how sensitive business information is circulated among operators.
This follows allegations by some mobile money operators that details about Mrs. Arrah’s cash position may have been leaked through a private WhatsApp forum used by operators to exchange financial information. It is suspected that information she shared a day before the attack indicating cash availability for exchange may have reached criminal elements.
“Serious investigations are ongoing,” the SDO assured residents, urging the public not to panic while security services work to track down those responsible. Police investigations have since been launched, with early reports suggesting the attackers fled via the GRA Rose Bowl route.
For a city long regarded as one of Cameroon’s safest urban centres, the attack has deepened public anxiety and amplified calls for community vigilance structures to complement state security efforts. During the April session of the Limbe II Council, the Fako SDO had already urged neighbourhoods to establish vigilante groups to strengthen local surveillance against emerging threats.
As Limbe mourns yet another victim of armed violence, residents and business operators alike now wait to see whether the newly announced measures will restore confidence and prevent further bloodshed.
