Mamfe Diocese Urges Prayers After Priest Swept Away by River

By Tata Mbunwe

The Catholic Diocese of Mamfe has launched a search and rescue operation for Rev. Fr. Carol Tchinda Nguito, who was swept away by a strong river current on July 31. He was traveling between mission stations in the Tabongkwa-Mbetta Deanery, according to a statement from the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev Fr Blaise Njikang Ewang.

The incident, which occurred between Mboa and Ekwenzu mission stations, has prompted an urgent call for prayers from Bishop Aloysius Abangalo Fondong as the diocese grapples with the crisis in Cameroon’s conflict-hit South West Region.

In a statement by Rev. Fr. Blaise Njikang Ewang, the diocese announced, “Rev. Fr. Carol Tchinda Nguito was swept away by a strong current in a river he was attempting to cross on his way from one of the mission stations to another.”

The statement noted that the incident took place in the evening of July 31 and that “search and rescue efforts are currently ongoing.”

The diocese has mobilized its community and has urged Christians for “unceasing prayers to God for the rescue of Rev. Fr. Carol Tchinda Nguito”.

Fr. Tchinda, parish priest of St. Matthias Quasi Parish, was navigating the challenging terrain of Manyu Division, an area plagued by poor infrastructure and the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, which has displaced thousands and closed several parishes since 2016.

The diocese, which has been under Bishop Abangalo’s leadership since May 2022, has faced repeated attacks, including the 2018 killing of Fr. Cosmas Omboto Ondari and the 2022 arson attack on St. Mary’s Parish at Nchang, where clergy were abducted.

The incident again highlights the dangers faced by clergy in Mamfe, where separatist violence and environmental challenges, like heavy rains typical of the region’s tropical monsoon climate, complicate pastoral work.