A known Ambazonia separatist fighter, identified as “Never Lack,” was killed on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Ekona. The killing follows an ambush involving the Cameroonian armed forces.
The Cameroonian military apprehended a separatist fighter known as Angaiboh Luther (Commander Luther), according to reports. Subsequently, this individual reportedly led the armed forces to the location of Never Lack and his associates.
“Luther was caught by the army, who led them to ambush. They let him (Luther) call them and inform them that he has been freed by the army, who shot him on the leg, which was a trap,” an insider told MMI. “Never Lack, and others were going to rescue him, not knowing it was a trap of which they fell for the trap.”
An exchange of gunfire ensued, resulting in the death of Never Lack. Two other individuals reportedly fled the scene with bullet wounds.
Witnesses have confirmed Never Lack’s death and reported the deaths of three other individuals. The local population discovered the bodies of three individuals near the Ekona motor park on Thursday morning, as confirmed by these sources. Surprisingly, one of the three was Luther, who had been in military custody. The other two hve been identified as Prosper and Dada. This implies that a total of four individuals perished in the span of two days.
“And this morning the army later killed Luther and two others and abandoned their corpses at the park,” the insider said.
People in the community have since removed and buried the corpses.
This suggests, therefore, that Luther was deceived by the military to lure his friends out, after which he was possibly summarily executed.
Background to the Anglophone Crisis
This incident occurs within the context of the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon. The roots of this crisis can be traced back to the post-independence period and the perceived marginalisation of the English-speaking minority in the North-West and South- West regions of the country.
Following the unification of French-speaking East Cameroon and English-speaking West Cameroon in 1961, grievances began to emerge regarding the dominance of French language and culture in various aspects of public life, including education, law, and administration. These concerns gradually evolved into calls for greater autonomy and, eventually, outright secession.
In late 2016, protests started, led by Anglophone lawyers and teachers. They were protesting against the perceived erosion of the English legal and educational systems, to which the government responded forcefully. This heavy-handed reaction further radicalised segments of the Anglophone population. This led to the emergence of separatist movements advocating for the independence of a state they call “Ambazonia.”
Armed conflict between separatist groups and government forces has since escalated. This has resulted in significant loss of life, displacement of populations, and a humanitarian crisis in the North West and South West Regions. Both sides have been accused of human rights abuses.
