According to the April 21report of the commission of inquiry set up by President Paul Biya to dig into the incident which saw the death of many persons including children and a pregnant woman, at least four members of the country’s defence forces have to answer for their role in the Valentine’s Day killings and burnings.

“Following an exchange of gunfire, during which five terrorists were killed, and many weapons seized, the detachment discovered that three women and ten children had died because of its action. Panic-stricken, the three servicemen with the help of some members of the vigilante committee, tried to conceal the facts by causing fires,” said the report. “On his return to Ntumbaw, Sergeant Baba Guida who led the operation, submitted a deliberately biased report to his superiors, a report on which the Government initially based its statement.”

Barrister Tamfu Richard, one of the lawyers defending the interest of the Civil Parties (the victims) told Cameroon-Info.Net Monday night that the trial of the suspects has been going on with very little publicity.

“The government has been conducting a trial by ambush. Can you imagine that the case is going on and the victims (civil claimants) are not aware? The case is under Preliminary Inquiry before an Examining Magistrate of the Yaoundé Military Tribunal and an interrogation session is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday, June 9, 2020,” Barrister Tamfu, Member of the Cameroon and Nigerian Bar Associations told Cameroon-Info.Net through messaging app.

“We the lawyers of the victims (civil claimants) got the information from our sources and we were quick to deposit our appearance letter today to defend the interest of the victims.”

Barrister Tamfu says they are expected to enter appearance this Tuesday. “Government had secretly selected its witnesses but the chamber of the Examining Magistrate was surprised to see lawyers representing civil claim rights. They instructed us to bring our clients tomorrow (June 9) for interrogation,” he said.

Lawyers representing the civil claimants advise ascendants or descendants of victims (civil claimants) that the case has opened up already. “It is necessary for them to come up with their own cases,” lawyers counsel.

“Family relations of the deceased victims, be it ascendants or descendants should be aware that hearing of their own side of the story is going on. Those whose houses or farms were burnt down in that operation should be aware,” lawyers say.

Sergeant Baba Guida, Commander of the Ntumbaw Joint Regiment as well as Gendarme Sanding Sanding Cyrille and private first class Haranga Gilbert are standing trial at the Yaounde military tribunal for their role in the incident. Some ten members of the vigilante committee who assisted the servicemen to launch the attack on Ngarbuh 3 are actively being tracked down, the inquiry report said.

Major Nyiangono Ze Charles Eric, Commander of the 52nd Motorised Infantry Battalion (BIM) is faulted for knowing how sensitive the Ngarbuh area was, due to prevailing high inter-community tensions, but failed to personally supervise the operation carried out by his troops.

On his part, Sergeant Baba Guida, Commander of the Ntumbaw Joint Regiment is said to have involved armed civilians in a military operation, failed to control his troops during the operation, ordered the burning down of houses, and deliberately produced a false report on the operation and its toll.

Gendarme Sanding Sanding Cyrille and Private 1st Class Haranga Gilbert, the inquiry reveals, took part in an operation that caused the death of several persons and the burning of houses.