Locals Confront Eyumojock Chief Over FCFA 12 Million Ransom Taken by Son

Young people from several communities in Eyumojock Subdivision, Manyu Division, have joined former separatist fighters in confronting the growing problem of kidnappings for ransom in the area.

A video sent to MMI News shows dozens of young men from Otu, Ayaoke and Ekoneman gathered in Babong village, where they delivered a warning concerning a man identified as Ndifon.

Ndifon, who is said to be the son of the Babong traditional ruler, is accused by the group of belonging to an armed separatist faction and kidnapping residents from neighbouring communities.

According to an Ejagham interpretation of the recording provided to MMI News, the group of men and women said Ndifon abducted men and women from Ayaoke and demanded approximately FCFA 12 million for their release.

He is also accused of taking motorcycles and other property belonging to residents.

MMI News has not independently confirmed the alleged kidnappings, but several cases of separatist-linked kidnappings have been reported in the area.

Villagers confront Babong chief

The group reportedly travelled to Babong to confront the traditional ruler and ask him to communicate their demands to his son.

They warned that they would search for Ndifon in Cameroon or neighbouring Nigeria unless he returned the alleged ransom money, motorcycles and other property taken from the villagers.

The gathering was addressed by a man identified by the source as Tanyi Lord, a former separatist commander who previously operated in Eyumojock.

The source said Tanyi Lord was among the earliest armed fighters operating in the area after Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis escalated into an armed conflict.

The crisis began in 2016 with peaceful protests by English-speaking lawyers and teachers against the growing use of French in courts and schools in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions. A violent government crackdown and the arrest of protest leaders fuelled demands for greater autonomy and later independence for a proposed state known as Ambazonia. The conflict became increasingly armed from 2017, pitting government forces against multiple separatist groups and leaving civilians exposed to killings, kidnappings, extortion, displacement and other abuses attributed to both sides.

Tanyi Lord is reported to have surrendered to Cameroon’s security forces several months ago. MMI News has not independently established the circumstances of the reported surrender or whether it formed part of an official disarmament programme.

In the Ejagham-language recording, Tanyi Lord reportedly warned that the communities would no longer tolerate fighters who use the separatist conflict to kidnap and extort impoverished residents.

Former fighters reportedly among the crowd

Tanyi Lord claimed that several of the young men standing behind him had previously fought alongside separatist groups.

According to his account, communities in Eyumojock initially selected or permitted young men to join the armed struggle when it began. Some of them allegedly fought for approximately seven years before voluntarily laying down their weapons.

“They started the fight on their own and dropped their guns on their own,” the source quoted Tanyi Lord as saying.

He said many of the former fighters had since returned to their villages and resumed farming and other civilian activities.

The group’s message, according to the interpretation, was that fighters who no longer wanted to continue the struggle should lay down their weapons rather than finance themselves through ransom kidnappings.

Tanyi Lord reportedly argued that the residents being abducted were the same poor parents and villagers whose communities had suffered throughout the conflict.

Death threat raises serious concerns

Although the anger expressed by the communities reflects growing frustration with kidnappings, the video also reportedly contains a threat to capture and kill the accused man if he fails to return the money and property.

Such a threat raises serious legal and security concerns.

Accusations of kidnapping and extortion should be investigated through lawful processes. Community members, former fighters or armed groups do not have the legal authority to execute an accused person.

The public ultimatum could also trigger retaliatory violence between armed factions or expose residents of Babong and neighbouring communities to collective punishment.

The Cameroonian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported gathering, the accusations against Ndifon or the threat made against him.

The Babong chief’s response to the group is also not yet known.

Kidnapping has devastated communities

Kidnapping for ransom has become one of the most damaging consequences of the conflict in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions.

Human Rights Watch has repeatedly documented abductions, torture, extortion and other attacks against civilians by armed separatist groups. The organisation has also documented killings, torture, destruction of property and other abuses attributed to government security forces.

Eyumojock, situated close to Cameroon’s border with Nigeria, contains several remote and forested communities. Otu, Ayaoke, Babong and Ekoneman are among the recognised Ejagham Njemaya communities in the subdivision. Some villages remain difficult to access because of poor roads and weak communication networks.

The area’s proximity to Nigeria and its difficult terrain can make it easier for armed men to move between communities or cross the border while evading security forces.

Residents say insecurity and poor telephone networks have also prevented many incidents in remote villages from reaching the media or relevant authorities.

Eyumojock mayor previously abducted

The latest claims come months after Eyumojock Mayor and traditional ruler Chief Jacques Ita Ayamba was abducted while travelling on the Mbakem–Taboh road on January 6, 2026.

Reports said armed men intercepted the mayor as he travelled towards Mamfe. He was released on January 8 following an operation attributed to Cameroon’s Rapid Intervention Battalion, although details surrounding his release remained disputed in some accounts.

That incident renewed attention on the insecurity facing elected officials, traditional rulers, traders, motorbike riders and ordinary residents travelling through Manyu Division.

Communities turning against armed abuses

The Babong gathering could indicate a significant shift in how some communities are responding to armed groups.

Residents who initially supported or tolerated separatist fighters increasingly accuse some armed men of abandoning the political objectives of the struggle and turning to kidnapping, extortion and personal enrichment.

The reported participation of former fighters is particularly significant. It suggests that people with knowledge of armed networks may now be mobilising against those accused of victimising their communities.

However, replacing armed separatist violence with community executions or vigilante reprisals would create another cycle of abuse.

Residents have the right to demand the return of property, an end to kidnappings and accountability for those responsible. That accountability must, however, respect the right to life and the requirement for credible investigations.

MMI News is seeking further information from residents of the affected communities, the Babong traditional administration, the accused man and the competent authorities.

MMI News