Where there is war, there must be criminality and impunity, and this is the case in Southern Cameroons where a separatist insurgency has been raging for almost four years. The Southern Cameroons crisis has transformed a once-upon-a-time oasis of peace into a playground for criminals who are really making hay while the sun shines. A criminal enterprise, some of which is government-sponsored, is booming as the country’s government and organised criminals are feeding fat on Southern Cameroons resources. A solidly established underworld of warlords and trade-offs is sprouting as ragweed, leaving many innocent civilians in a tough and hopeless situation that is characterized by fear. On April 22, 2020, the French Cameroon government published a dubious and exceedingly bogus report on the massacre of 24 civilians by its military in the village of Ngarbuh, Dunga Mantung, on February 14, 2020. The report was a clear indictment of the French Cameroon government which shamelessly admitted that it recruited and utilised vigilante groups in its operations in Ngarbuh.

The government’s admission of guilt has left it with a bloodshot eye and its military actions in Southern Cameroons are a clear manifestation of desperation against an insurgency that is not going away anytime soon. It is no surprise that drafting armed vigilante groups is reckless and perilous in a region that is awash with sophisticated weapons. Guns, lawlessness, poverty and testosterone constitute a hazardous and explosive mix and the temptation for those under the influence of these to engage in criminal activity is exceedingly high.

Earlier this week, there were audios circulating on social media, allegedly from Amba boys calling for the head of the Archbishop of Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province, Andrew Nkea. The contents of those audios were disturbing and Cameroon Concord News Group had to publish a detailed editorial outlining the political ramifications to the Southern Cameroons if the man of God is attacked by Amba boys or any group that is acting under the cover of darkness. The urgency of the matter prompted a statement from the Ambazonia Interim Government, calling on any persons involved in such an ungodly enterprise to think twice before acting.

Later on Monday, May 25, 2020, Cameroon Concord News and Cameroon Intelligence Report launched a joint investigation into the source and rationale behind the audio. Our team of top-class investigators quickly established that Archbishop Andrew Nkea was ordained a Priest in Buea in April 1992. He served the Church, the Lord and the people of Buea until August 2013 when he was ordained Bishop of the Mamfe diocese. The investigation revealed that it was in Mamfe that the new Bishop flourished in his work for mankind and The Almighty. In Mamfe, his determination to rejuvenate farming delivered huge dividends. Our investigators can reveal that the Archbishop’s work and influence in his diocese was monumental. The palm nuts, maize, cassava, poultry, goat farms he established were not only profitable, but also revolutionary.

Wherever there is hard-work and success, green-eyed monsters are never far away. Our team uncovered that his work in Buea and Mamfe dioceses brought plaudits from the congregants but built a steady army of resentful adversaries within Ecclesiastical ranks. Cameroon Concord News Group uncovered that some years back, the opposition within the church to the then Reverend Father was excessive and exhausting emotionally.

The man of God’s appointment to the position of Archbishop of Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province in February this year was a reward for his hard work in the Mamfe diocese. But this was not well received by many within the church. Many within the Church consider his rise as meteoric and undeserved.

The position of Archbishop, splendid and powerful, was coveted by numerous established bishops. Cameroon Concord News Group uncovered that there were many who believed that they or their close associates should have been appointed to the position instead of Archbishop Andrew Nkea.

Our undercover reporters cross-examined many people within the church in Buea, Mamfe and Bamenda who elected anonymity said they were convinced that the audio calling for the head of the Archbishop to be blown off was the work of dark forces within the Church. Blood-stained disputes are not uncommon in the ranks of the church. In 2017, Bishop Jean Marie Benoît Balla’s body was discovered in a river days after his disappearance. Cameroonian bishops issued a statement after claiming he was murdered saying “we have the impression that the clergy of Cameroon in particular is pursued by obscure diabolical forces”.

The insecurity in Southern Cameroons is a textbook heaven for criminal elements within the Church to bring their plot against Archbishop Andrew Nkea to fruition. It will be the supreme offence if these dark forces within the church committed the ultimate crime only to pin it on innocent Ambazonian self-defence forces. But the huge net of Cameroon Concord News Group is closing in on them and they will be exposed.

By Isong Asu in London with intelligence files