Ngongo, Mbonge Sub-Division:

Village Chief assassinated by unidentified gunmen

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

The village of Ngongo in Mbonge Sub-Division, Southwest Region has been gripped by panic and fear following the brutal assassination of their chief by unknown gunmen after luring him from a funeral ceremony.

                Chief Ekebe Johannes Niongo was assassinated along the Ngongo-Bole stretch of road along the River Meme on the night of Friday January 12, breaking Saturday. According to reports, Chief Ekebe was last seen on Friday January 12 at the wake keep of his colleague, late chief Mekumba Manfred of Kwa-Kwa were he was coordinating the affairs of the funeral.

                While the wake keeping service was ongoing, it is said a young man surfaced and called Chief Ekebe that he was urgently needed at his palace by some persons. The chief is said to have left the wake keeping ground at Kwa-Kwa without informing any of his colleagues. He reportedly left his car and took a motorbike with the boy who had come for him.

                Reports only emanated from neighbours later that they heard some unusual noise shortly after the chief left Kwa-Kwa. Chief Ekebe was later found in a pool of his own blood with three wounds supposedly from gunshots.

He was rushed to the Kumba District hospital where he tried helplessly to recall the faces of his assailants before giving up the ghost. His body is presently at the mortuary of the Kumba District Hospital.

Mbonge DO Suspected

                Immediately news of the Chief’s death broke out, social media specialists picked it up and spread it like wild fire. They accused the Divisional Officer of Mbonge, Bikie Alain Serge Befolo, of having a hidden hand in the chief’s murder.

                Unfortunately for perpetrators of the social media news, The Median investigated and gathered that the DO was not in Mbonge on the day of the incident. The DO’s close collaborators told this reporter the DO’s detractors want to bring up a smear campaign against him.

                They indicated that the DO was even blocked in Kumba on Sunday following news of the severe gun exchange between the military and the Ambazonia soldiers.

                It should be recalled that the Mbonge DO recently paid a visit to Ngongo village where he and his entourage were refused chairs. The youths had planned not to welcome the DO saying they don’t recognize him as DO in their country, Ambazonia.

We gathered the only person who welcomed the DO was the Chief who pleaded with the administrator to bear with whatever was happening.

                We also learnt the youths of Ngongo were so angry with their chief after he welcomed the DO against their wish. 

                What still intrigues many is why did the chief have to leave the funeral ground without informing anybody? “What did the young man who lured the chief away tell him as to cause him to leave immediately and surreptitiously? Why did the chief abandon his car and preferred to mount a motor bike?

                Some opinions hold that the chief might have been killed by forces loyal to the Ambazonia soldiers following his firm resolve for school resumption. Yet others say it might have been scores settling.