Killers of slain delegates will face punishment, authorities declare at public funeral

Cameroon’s South West Region Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai has stressed the need to find those responsible for the brutal murder of six delegates.

On August 9, 2023, in the Centenary Stadium in Limbe, a public burial service was held in their honour. Senator Mbella Moki Charles of Cameroon reiterated Mr. Bilai’s demand.

All of the delegates were serving in the South West Region of the country before their deaths. Among them are Elvis Ebaku, Divisional delegate of state property, land tenure, and surveys; Housing and Urban Development Division Delegate Felicia Ndong; Water and Energy Resources Division Delegate Elad Emmanuel; Small and Medium-Sized Business Delegate Mbida Armand Christian; and Surveys Division Chief Stephen Nyenty.

They were all gunned down by Ambazonia separatists in Ndian Division, Cameroon’s South West Region, and thrown into a mass grave.

On August 6, 2023, their bodies were dug up in Makobeh, an area of Ekondo Titi.

The Governor of the South West spoke during the burial and underlined the importance of finding their killers and “bringing them to book.”

Investigations ongoing

According to Governor Bilai, who was quoting President Paul Biya, “I would like to use this tribune to draw the attention of both local observers and the international community to take note of the real identity of those persons who mastermind and give instructions from above or locally for the perpetration of the gruesome acts.”

Mr. Bilai went on to wonder how much they benefited from the deaths and devastation. “What have they gained since they started killing? Since they started destroying?” asked Bilai.

For his part, Senator Moki is confident that a big campaign will lead to the identification of the killers. For the world to know who issued that order, he pleaded, “Let the name be made public so that all the facets of the State; Civil Society, the press, activists, and advocacy—should be launched.”

One of them (Tamaya Clinton) admitted to killing the delegates because they had orders to do so from on high. Where did the overseas orders come from? Added Senator Moki.

An ex-fighter confesses

A former separatist fighter named Tamaya Clinton came forward a few days ago to admit that he had worked for and assisted the organization responsible for the delegates’ deaths.

He claimed that the operation was headed by a self-styled general called, Ten Kobo.

Clinton admitted, “When he (Ten Kobo) kidnapped them, he received orders from the Diaspora not to release them, he was told to kill them so that they would crown him Field Marshall… They assigned some men to dig graves, and they shot all of them one after the other.”

The delegate was murdered on June 15, 2021.

The governor has promised that their bodies can be returned to their families whenever they like.

Mimi Mefo Takambou contributed to this article.