They were neutralized reportedly by soldiers on the night of Tuesday breaking Wednesday, September 15 in Nake Bokoko, a village in Mbonge Sub-Division, Meme division in the troubled South West Region.

Inhabitants are said to have woke to notice that the soldiers had invaded the village, killing the three boys said to be separatist fighters. Commander Cross, Emanu Cigar, and Gazola were neutralized while still sleeping in their houses.

Two others are said to have escaped the attack. Sources say it was a calculated manhunt launched by the military against the separatist fighters who have been carrying out their activities along the Kumba-Mbonge stretch of road. We gathered that the wives of the two Amba fighters who escaped were arrested by the military for further questioning. They were later released.

According to locals, the said armed group led by Commander Cross were noted for terrorizing villagers and even travelers making use of the Kumba-Mbonge stretch of road.

Many commuters have lost huge sums of money as well as valuables to the gunmen who have repeatedly harassed them along the way. They are said to have imposed themselves as the only persons charged with judging issues involving villagers with inhumane treatment and fines meted on defaulters.

Villagers also confirmed the confiscation of their farms, properties, and other important items when caught by Commander Cross violating any of their orders. Worth noting is the fact that since the ongoing crisis escalated, Mbonge Sub-Division in Meme Division has been a center of concern as several bloody incidents have been recorded in the Kumba-Mbonge stretch of road.

Cameroon’s state forces have been battling to dislodge armed separatists who pitched their tents in the North West and South West Regions since Anglophone protests transformed into an armed conflict in 2017.

Corporate demands by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers led to protests in November 2016. The street demonstrations later morphed into ongoing running gun battles between state forces and armed separatist fighters in the predominantly English-speaking regions, leading to untold destruction of human lives, their habitats, and livelihoods.