Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has ordered a 48-hour suspension of motorcycle sales across the North West Region, taking effect on October 6, 2026.
Issued following a high-level security meeting in Bamenda with local authorities, security forces, and union leaders, the directive aims to curb rising criminality, including kidnapping for ransom, rape, torture, and armed attacks. Officials report that the commercial motorcycle sector has increasingly been exploited by criminal networks operating in the area.
Under the new security measures, motorcycle dealers must declare their existing stock to administrative authorities within the 48-hour period and ensure all subsequent sales undergo full administrative registration and immatriculation through the Ministry of Transport.
Minister Atanga Nji strictly prohibited attempts to bypass local regulations by purchasing motorcycles in neighboring regions for transport into the North West, warning that violators will face severe legal sanctions.
The government’s intervention follows low compliance rates with previous regulations established in 2023, which Minister Atanga Nji revealed yielded only a 20 percent rider conformity rate.
Citing over 300 recent incidents where motorcycle operators were apprehended with weapons such as firearms and knives, authorities are now enforcing a strict limit allowing riders to carry no more than one passenger at a time to restore discipline and public safety throughout Bamenda.
To encourage compliance and support legitimate operators, the minister pledged to personally fund the registration and official immatriculation fees for the first 100 motorcycles submitted through the president of the motorcycle riders’ union. Emphasizing a partnership between the state and the transport sector, he called on riders and their associations to actively assist law enforcement in identifying individuals using the trade as cover for illicit activities.
In a novel turn during the proceedings, Minister Atanga Nji distributed Bibles and Qurans to the assembled drivers, urging them to align their actions with religious teachings. He cautioned that individuals who persist in criminal activity despite receiving the holy texts would face both temporal law and divine justice, reinforcing the government’s dual approach of moral persuasion and legal enforcement.
Administrative and defence forces are now tasked with closely monitoring compliance across Bamenda and the wider North West Region. Authorities will maintain heightened surveillance on motorcycle dealerships, enforce registration protocols, inspect passenger limits, and verify rider identification to restore public order in the region.
