Sources say late Nyandomo Manga Manuella’s kidnappers demanded a ransom of 1.8 million and threatened to kill her within 48 hours if not paid.
A 24-year-old student was found dead in Yaounde in the Mfoundi Division of the Centre Region last Saturday June 21, a day after being kidnapped near the Omnisports neighborhood in the nation’s capital. The victim, Nyandomo Manga Manuella, had alerted family members via social media platform WhatsApp before her body was discovered with severe mutilations. Her lifeless body was found in the Ngousso neighborhood, according to report. Nyandomo Manga was a PhD student at the University of Yaoundé II-Soa.
She was reportedly abducted on the evening of Friday June 20. Shortly after her disappearance, she reportedly informed her relatives in a message stating that “I have been taken and they kidnappers are demanding 1.8 million CFA francs for my release and that I will be killed within 48 hours if the ransom was not paid.” Attached to the message was a telephone number where the ransom was to be deposited.
The message was Nyandomo Manga’s last message to her family. Her family immediately reported the case to the State Secretariat for Defense, SED on Saturday morning. Authorities reportedly advised them to publicize the incident to increase pressure for her safe return. However, before any further action could be taken, her body was found in bushes near a public secondary school in Ngousso. The victim, according to report, had suffered extreme violence, including mutilation. The crime has sparked outrage on social media, with some initially questioning the kidnapping’s authenticity before the grim discovery.
Many now criticize the lack of security in Yaounde, where kidnappings and violent crimes remain a growing concern. Activists are demanding a swift investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. The incident adds to a series of unresolved violent crimes in Yaounde, deepening public frustration over safety and law enforcement effectiveness. Calls for accountability and stronger security measures continue to rise as residents express fear over the worsening situation.
