A young man identified as Funwie from Bafut was found dead early Sunday morning, May 12, 2025, along the Bafut Road in Bamenda, North West Region. This was after a confrontation the night before over a so-called “contraband drink,” by Brasseries.
Witnesses recall that Ambazonia separatist fighters forcibly removed Funwie from a bar on Ayaba Street on Saturday night while he was drinking. The dispute reportedly stemmed from his consumption of a Brasseries-brand beer. These are drinks which separatist fighters in the region consider banned. The attackers allegedly told him, “We will treat you consumers as we treat sellers,” before abducting him.
His lifeless body was discovered the next morning. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Separatist fighters have previously abducted and even killed those selling or consuming the beverage, and no group has claimed responsibility.
The Controversial Ban on “Brasseries Drinks”
The term “contraband drink” in this context refers to beverages produced and distributed by Les Sociétés des Boissons du Cameroun (SABC), popularly known as Brasseries. Since the onset of the Anglophone crisis, separatist groups have declared these products banned in the territories they claim to “control”, accusing the company of supporting the central government in Yaoundé.
The roots of this ban trace back to the early days of the conflict. During a 2017 protest known as the “Coffin Revolution,” one of the demonstrators mounted on Mancho Bibixy’s car and urged the youth to stop drinking Brasseries products, arguing that excessive drinking was dulling their awareness and stifling the resistance. That rhetoric quickly evolved into an outright ban, which separatist fighters began enforcing.
Over the years, kidnappers have targeted numerous business owners and consumers, forcing them to pay ransoms for selling or drinking Brasserie beverages. In some cases, authorities tortured or executed individuals. Hijackers targeted transport trucks carrying these drinks, and in one instance, they shot a truck driver dead while he descended the Fish Pond Hill in Bamenda.
Growing Insecurity and Civilian Toll
Saturday night’s incident further adds to a growing list of civilian casualties caught in the crossfire of the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Residents increasingly express alarm over the brutal methods enforcing social bans and ideological positions.
“No one deserves to die for what they drink,” said a local bar owner, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. “This madness is coming back.”
Funwie, meanwhile, a married man and father of three, leaves behind a grieving family.
