He said, “We must condemn these excesses of some officials who at the same time give a dirty image to our police force”.

“The violence meted on Hon Nourane Fotsing by a police officer in Bafoussam today is inconceivable and unacceptable,” said lawmaker Ta Nformi Ngala Gerard, Member of Parliament for Donga Mantung Centre.

Taking to Facebook a few hours after the incident, the development-focused lawmaker said such treatment should never be meted on a woman, talk less of a Member of Parliament.

“As a Member of Parliament, I strongly condemn such unacceptable excesses and ask that an investigation be opened to this effect to get the facts straight and possible sanctions,” said Hon. Ngala. “Let's all be good examples in building, not destroying.”

The crux

A video circulating online shows police in Bafoussam ‘assaulting’ Hon. Nourane Foster and harassing her as she purportedly tried to drive through a barricaded road on Tuesday.

The video shows a near scuffle between a group of police officers and the lawmaker of the opposition PCRN party led by Hon. Cabral Libii.

The police can be seen warning the lawmaker in her car, as though she was a child, forcing her to climb down her car before pouring insults and threats on her. One of the officers, a 3rd-grade inspector of police with a pistol strapped around his waist seems to take the matter into his hands, pointing and scolding at Hon. Nourane Foster.

The 46-second viral video suggests that Hon. Nourane Foster’s was physically assaulted by the forces of law and order.

Many among those sharing the video of the scuffle on social media are calling it a “brutal assault” and a violation of parliamentary immunity.

Nourane Foster was reportedly on her way to Foumban through Bafoussam in Cameroon’s West region Tuesday, July 20, 20211.

The northern exit from the city of Bafoussam which leads to Foumban is said to have been blocked as the Governor of the West Region, Awa Fonka Augustine joined Muslim faithful to commemorate Eid al-Adha, Arabic for Festival of the Sacrifice – the latter of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam that honors the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God's command.

Open sources say the road stretch was blocked as a security measure given that the Governor was at a nearby mosque where Muslim faithful offered Eid al-Adha prayers. An overflow from the mosque had forced faithful to pray right up to the road, reports say.

Hon. Ngala salutes patriotic police officers

In the same breath that condemned the treatment reserved for Hon. Nourane by some police officers in Bafoussam, Hon. Ngala Gerard reaffirmed support to the police force.

“First, we must reaffirm our total and unending support to our police forces in their mission to maintain law and order, protecting people and their goods especially to the DIRECTOR GENERAL who has brought in a lot of reforms to better the police core,” said Ta Nformi Ngala Gerard. “They do so day and night with a lot of Bravado. However, we must condemn these excesses of some officials who at the same time give a dirty image of our police force.”