Ngong Clifford’s Killing Exposes Armed Banditry Behind Separatists in Kedjom Ketinguh

A journey home from a funeral ended in tragedy for Ngong Clifford, an Oku-born businessman popularly known as “Huspuppi,” after armed men claiming to be Ambazonia separatist fighters opened fire on his vehicle at St. Patrick’s Junction in Kedjom Ketinguh, North West Cameroon.

Clifford was returning to Bamenda on Friday, July 24, 2026, after attending the funeral of another businessman known as Mendak when the vehicle carrying him and several other passengers came under attack.

Mendak had operated a business in Tingeh, the area popularly known as Sabga, in Kedjom Ketinguh.

Clifford sustained gunshot wounds and died shortly afterwards. His body was taken to the Bamenda Regional Hospital Mortuary, while several passengers travelling with him were abducted.

The attack was not simply another unexplained shooting on a conflict-ridden road. Information confirmed by MMI News points to a group that has repeatedly used separatist rhetoric while targeting civilians for money, abducting travellers and opening fire on vehicles that fail to comply with its demands.

Gunmen Were Extorting Travellers Along the Road

Multiple local sources familiar with the area told MMI News that the attackers were young men from Kedjom Ketinguh who identify themselves as Ambazonia separatist fighters.

The group had reportedly moved to the roadside to stop passing vehicles and collect money from drivers and passengers—a practice residents say has continued along the road for a long time.

It was during this operation that Clifford’s vehicle was attacked at St. Patrick’s Junction.

The gunmen did not engage government soldiers or attack a military convoy. Their targets were civilians returning from a funeral.

Local sources identified two men known as Ferdinand and Siankong as leaders of the group involved in the attack. They are said to command subgroups answerable to Ngeh Cyprian, popularly known as “General The Only Bro.”

MMI News has not been able to obtain responses from the individuals named, and authorities have not issued an official statement on Clifford’s killing or the reported abductions.

However, the conduct described by residents—setting up illegal roadblocks, demanding money from civilians, shooting at passenger vehicles and abducting travellers—bears all the hallmarks of armed banditry.

Whatever political label the perpetrators attach to themselves, extortion, kidnapping and the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians cannot be presented as a struggle for liberation.

A Civilian Killed While Returning From a Funeral

Ngong Clifford was originally from Keyon village in Oku, from the Fai Bafon Shantu Compound.

He grew up in Sissia Quarter in Bamenda and later established himself as a businessman in Old Town, where he became widely known among residents and fellow traders.

On Friday, he joined others travelling to bury Mendak, another member of the business community. He never made it back home.

The attack has caused anger and grief, particularly within the Oku community, where Clifford was remembered as a beloved son whose life was cut short while carrying out a basic social obligation—paying his final respects to a fellow businessman.

Announcing his death, a community tribute said:

“His departure has brought a lot of pain to the hearts of those who knew Mr. Ngong Clifford. We pray God comforts the family, and may his gentle soul find rest in the Lord.”

The Tribe of Oku described his death as an untimely loss.

“With profound grief and a heavy heart, we announce the untimely passing of a beloved son of Oku, Mr. Ngong Clifford of Keyon village, from Fai Bafon Shantu Compound,” the group said.

It added:

“In this moment of sorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the entire community.”

Oku Culture TV also paid tribute to the businessman, saying Clifford would always be remembered.

“May God grant them strength, comfort and peace, and may the soul of our beloved brother rest in perfect peace. Rest well, Ngong Clifford. You will always be remembered.”

Another Passenger Vehicle Attacked by the Same Network

Clifford’s killing comes only weeks after another civilian passenger vehicle was attacked by armed men operating within the same separatist network.

Earlier in July, MMI News obtained a voice message in which Ngeh Cyprian, alias General The Only Bro, admitted that his fighters had opened fire on a passenger vehicle travelling along the Ndop–Kumbo road through the Bamessing area.

A 10-year-old child was killed, while other passengers were injured.

Instead of taking responsibility for killing the child, the separatist commander blamed the driver for failing to stop after his fighters flashed a torchlight at the vehicle.

He also claimed, without presenting evidence, that civilian taxis and private vehicles were being used to transport government soldiers. He subsequently warned that vehicles travelling along the road between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. would be at risk.

Such declarations effectively turn public roads into territories controlled by armed groups, where civilian survival depends on obeying the instructions of gunmen hiding in the darkness.

The latest attack in Kedjom Ketinguh demonstrates the consequences of that impunity. Drivers who fail to stop can be shot. Passengers who survive can be kidnapped. Families are then left to mourn or negotiate ransom payments.

Civilians Increasingly Becoming the Main Targets

The killing of Ngong Clifford is part of a disturbing pattern in which armed separatist groups claim to be fighting the Cameroonian state but increasingly direct their violence towards the very civilians they claim to represent.

On July 19, businessman Dobgima Elvis Bonga, popularly known as Lexus, was shot dead at his business premises in Bali Nyonga.

Armed men entered the premises as residents gathered to watch the World Cup final and shot him in the heart. Two other civilians were wounded.

The businessman had previously received threats and demands for money from separatist fighters. After the killing, a fighter identified as Kevin, popularly known as “General Mami,” posted the words “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” on WhatsApp.

The killing of a businessman inside his premises, the shooting of a child inside a passenger vehicle and the murder of Clifford while he returned from a funeral cannot credibly be described as military operations.

They are attacks on civilian life.

Political Claims Cannot Excuse Criminal Conduct

The Anglophone conflict began amid legitimate grievances over political marginalisation, governance, language and the treatment of Cameroon’s English-speaking population.

But those grievances cannot serve as permanent cover for individuals who use weapons to enrich themselves, settle personal scores or terrorise communities.

A liberation movement that kidnaps civilians for ransom, extorts traders, shoots children and kills people returning from funerals destroys its own claim to legitimacy.

The broader conflict has produced grave abuses by different actors, including government forces and armed separatist groups. That reality, however, must not be used to dilute responsibility when particular armed groups deliberately target civilians.

The men who attacked Clifford’s vehicle were not protecting the population from an advancing military unit. According to information gathered by MMI News, they were on the roadside collecting money from travellers.

Ngong Clifford became their latest victim.

His death leaves behind a grieving family, a traumatised business community and renewed questions about how long civilians in the North West and South West Regions must continue paying with their lives for a conflict increasingly exploited by armed criminals.

MMI News