An atmosphere of cloudiness looms
between two villages (Njap village in Nkambe Central Sub Division and Kamine
village in Misaje Sub Division) of Donga Mantung Division after the shooting to
death of Fai Ndingansi (quarter head of Njap village in Nkambe Central Sub Division)
on March 31, 2015. Matters came to a head, last May 9, 2015 when the fon of Kamine
(Misaje Sub Division) resurfaced at Ngong quarter where the mortal remains of
the said traditional ruler was laid to rest to carry out rituals on his grave. Tension
is reported to have reached crescendo when the fon of Kamine insisted that he
was acting on the instruction (Prefctoral Order) issued by the Senior
Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung Division, Ngone Ndodemesape Bernard.
According to what we gathered, Fai Ndingansi’s family resisted on grounds that would
be an abomination and in the depths of despair for an outsider to carry out
rituals on the grave of their family head. Yet The Eye gathered that Donga
Mantung SDO has issued a query to the Fon of Njap on grounds that he
disrespected his Order.
This is so because on April 8, 2015,
Donga Mantung SDO issued a Prefectoral Order to temporarily regulate the
performance of traditional rites in the said disputed piece of land.
Prefectoral Order N0 094/PO/E27/C.111 SASC 8 April 2015 stipulated that the Fon
of Kamine had three days to carryout cleansing where Fai Ndingansi was shot to
death. Yet the Fon of Kamine surfaced 28 days after the date line had long
expired. Many have interpreted the move as lack of respect of the Prefectoral Order
on the part of Kamine Fon given that Article 1 states that “the Fon of Kamine village has three days
maximum, with effect from the date of notification of this Order to carryout
cleansing rite in the area where Ndingansi was shot on March 31st
…..”
The most controversial part of the
Prefectoral we gathered lies in the fact that SDO for Donga Mantung, Ngone
Ndodemesape Bernard in Article Three
states that “the Divisional Officer for
Misaje and his security collaborators shall administer the quarter, in account
of proximity during the period of suspension” yet Njap people say the
decision is not justifiable at all. They have been heard arguing that lack of
access road to Ngong should not serve as a bridge for the area to be handed to
a different village under such a pretext. The same Prefectoral Order also
suspended all traditional rites, customary funerals, crowning/enthronement of a
new sub chief suspended till further notice. It is alleged that the area under
dispute is said to be rich underneath.
A classified source hinted this
reporter that Ngong has being a quarter of Njap and this could be justified
given that during the 1961 Plebiscite, the people of Ngong voted at the Njap
Palace and during all the elections they have been voted at a polling station
located at Fiengong. More so, Fai Ndingansi I, who died in 1976 we gathered was
crowned by the fon of Njap. He was buried in Ngong and all the funeral rites
were performed by the people of Njap under the supervision of the then Fon of
Njap. Apart from that, Ngong has been paying all taxes (Jangali, Poll taxes) in
Njap since 1964. The map of Njap also indicates Ngong as a quarter. These and
many other evidences abound that someone is using land dispute as a camouflage
to put out of sight those who masterminded the shooting to death of Fai
Ndingansi III.
In rejecting the rituals being
carried out on the grave of their subject, the people of Njap we learnt have
urged that the Administration, Fon of Njap and Fon of Kamine should move to the
area, Ngong and pour libation to see who owns the place. A school of thought
holds that the truth could only be established through the pouring of libation
given that rituals are obnoxious acts that could hold the spirit of the
assassinated sub chief to go after those who ganged up to kill him. The fear,
we gathered steams from the fact that even the assassin spent days wandering in
Ngong until he was napped. This we gathered it was due to the fact that on the
night of March 31, 2015 when the sub chief was shot, a libation was pour
calling on the gods not to allow the perpetrators quit their land.
The Fon of Njap is alleged to have
decried that it is not because of inaccessibility or motorable road through
Njap village that the fon of Kamine will take advantage to occupy part of his
village. He discarded the proximity claims, adding that if such were tenable,
Furu-Awa and Akwaya would have been administered from Nigeria for proximity
reasons. It should be noted that Ngong has had a history of hostility. It said
that at one moment someone was found death in the house under strange
circumstances. In another instance, another person was shot to death, his wife
beaten to death and the perpetrator was only slammed a three years jail term.
The latest being the shooting to death of Fai Ndingansi. All the victims have been from Njap village.
The most disheartening is that three
of the four suspected murders of Fai Ndingansi were granted bail while the key
suspect, a certain Nigerian national Shagari (who shot the said traditional
ruler to death is currently in detention in Bamenda). It should be recalled that Shagari was caught
by the population of Njap the following morning in possession of the gun he
used to kill the sub chief. His arrest also led to the arrest of three other
suspects. Shagari according classified sources is Mbororo man from Nigeria and
is said to be a renowned cow thief in Misaje; purportedly ringleader of a gang
that has been terrorizing cattle traders between Bum Sub Division and Misaje
Sub Division.
Land Dispute Key Suspect
The unfortunate incident is said to be linked to
land dispute between Njap village in Nkambe Central and Kamine village in
Misaje. The story goes that on March 31, 2015, the said quarter head while
asleep late into the night got an uneasy barking from his dogs. As any normal
thinking human being will react when strange things do happen, he got up from
bed, opened the door to find out what must have provoked his dogs. That was
when he was shot. The misguided individuals, as he (the quarter head recounted
before giving off the ghost disappeared) leaving him on the floor. News
circulated through numerous phone calls. Determined youths, men and women of
Njap stormed the area. Allegations abound that some libations were also
performed to block the assassin from leaving their land. While villagers
launched a manhunt to get the killers, Fai Ndingansi was hurried to the Nkambe
District Hospital on Achaba where he finally died. Before giving off the ghost,
the said traditional ruler is said to have narrated what happened to the
hearing of all. News of his death circulated like wildfire. Allegedly, the said
traditional ruler had deposited two complaints against some individuals who
have been threatening his life. The said individuals classified source say are
under serious investigation. It is alleged that the anti-terrorism law looms
large on suspected killers and accomplices. Last year, one traditional ruler
was also killed by his brother over disputed palm bush in neigbouring quarter.
While putting to rest the assassinated quarter head, the people of Njap
performed a libation calling on the ancestors to take charge and their
responsibility to make sure that anyone who participated in one way or the
other in the killing (or got wing of the info that led to his death should be
dealt with accordingly). When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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