By Bakah Derick
The presence of gun carrying officers is an interesting feature every matchday at the Yong Sports Academy (YOSA) stadium in Njenefor mile six Nkwen.
While some of the officers can be spotted in bushes around the field with intensity especially when teams like Coton, Canon are playing in Bamenda, others are regularly present on the touch-line.
Those on the touch-line officials say are to provide first aid to players and ensure security. The security service we saw offering first aid assistance on the matchday of our report is the army rescue unit. When they remember they will drop their guns before rushing to offer help but when they don't, the rush with the firearms into the pitch. No one answered why the red cross was not present.
"I feel scared but it is for our good. Before we came here (meaning Bameda) we were told many things. I didn't even know there will be one civilian in this stadium. The population that is here is a surprise to me. I expected only soldiers." An official of a visiting team told Hilltopvoices.
Security has been intensified at the YOSA play ground in the outskirts of Bamenda since the outbreak of the armed conflict in the North West Region. Visiting teams are accompanied to and from the field and sometimes out of the town by heavily armed security forces. Local teams no longer enjoy the luxury.
Reports of a team attacked by an armed group emerged in 2020. No one could confirm the information. Some activists calling for the creation of a new nation called Ambazonia with Bamenda located in the region under contention had insinuated a ban on the national championship in the area reason why the league has continued under tight security.
"We come here because we love football not because we are sure of our security. You see heavily armed military in the field everyday because anything can happened and there can be an exchange between the military and Amba fighters and those to suffer will be us the poor spectators. But because we love football and our team we must come." Kinsley Ndzi a fan of PWD said practically rushing out of the field three minutes to the end of their game against Djiko FC of Bandjoun. PWD will finally win 4-1.
As the said game ends, the visiting team is quickly taken away with players given no time to change their match jessies. They are seen changing as the bus takes off with a military land rover leading them out of Njenefor.
This is the routine on every Matchday.