After tapping into phones, Gov’t starts spying on Anglophones with Surveillance Cameras

The Biya Government has begun erecting surveillance cameras in strategic positions in the North West and South West Regions in a bid to unmask more Anglophones who embark on any strike action.

The towering cameras are carefully implanted at road junctions, markets, motorcar parks, schools and major streets.

The installation of the street security cameras comes barely months after the Governor of the Southwest Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, confessed during a meeting that Government was tapping into people’s private phone conversations and is keeping track of whatever thing they say. 

He also boasted that he has compiled a blacklist of people who have already been found wanting due to the conversation they had with others in private. 

Hear him: “I have a blacklist, and if I read 10 names here, at least three people sitting in this meeting will feature in there.”

In the wake of the phone tapping confession, some individuals also complained that their social media accounts have been hacked, blocked and even suspended.

The installation of street cameras has been criticised by many, who do not see it as a means of solving the Anglophone Crises.

Tongues are already wagging that the cameras have been installed by the forces of law and order to uncover crime in strategic areas, especially as the burning down of schools, public buildings and business premises of those who refuse to respect Ghost Town calls in the two English-speaking Regions of Cameroon surges.

 “We have been begging Government to install street lights in our town to fight rising insecurity to no avail; instead they have come with surveillance cameras to be watching our every move. How will this help the population? Are thieves stealing on the streets?” an inhabitant of Buea stated.

In the North West Regional capital of Bamenda, the cameras are erected everywhere.

According to a cap driver, “we know what they are doing, we know the cameras very well,  although they are made to look like street lights...this Government is funny, instead of solving problems, they want to hide and spy on everyone”.

The driver, who refused to be named, further said, “I move around town carrying and dropping people, I have seen many of the Cameras and I wonder why the Government can take huge sums of money to buy equipment like that and spy on its citizens.”

Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts by this reporter to have the administrative and security authorities comment on the cameras, all of them maintain sealed lips.