“He Was the Backbone of Our Family”: Grief and Uncertainty After Killing of University Student in Bambui

The family of Khan Genesis is struggling to come to terms with a loss they describe as both devastating and life-altering. Genesis, a first-year Master’s student at the Higher Technical Teachers Training College (HTTTC) Bambili, was among two students of the University of Bamenda who were shot dead on Monday in Bambui by armed men believed to be separatist fighters.

At the family’s residence in Bamenda, grief fills every corner. Relatives, friends, and neighbours gather in silence, offering words of comfort to a family whose future, they say, has been shattered.

For the family, Genesis was more than a son and brother. He was their hope.
“He was the backbone of our family,” Emmanuel, his elder brother, said through tears. “Our mission has been ended abruptly. We don’t know what to do.”

According to family members, Genesis combined his studies with commercial motorcycle riding to support himself and contribute to the family’s needs. Despite the challenges of living and studying in a conflict-affected region, he remained determined to build a better future.

“We thought by the time he graduates, he will now assist the family. We are broken,” said his elder brother.

Those who knew him describe a young man full of dreams, hardworking and committed to his education. His death has left a painful void not only within his family but also among classmates and friends who saw in him a promising future.

The killing has once again drawn attention to the toll the ongoing conflict in Cameroon’s North West Region continues to take on young people. Students, teachers and civilians have frequently found themselves caught in violence that has persisted for years.

“If the country continues to loose her young people in this manner, then it’s going backward” said Emmanuel.

As the family prepares to bury their loved one, they say they are overwhelmed by both grief and uncertainty.
“He wanted to succeed and help everyone,” another relative said. “Now he is gone, and we don’t know how to move forward.”

For a family that placed its hopes in a young man determined to rise above hardship, the loss of Khan Genesis is being described as more than a personal tragedy.

MMI News