The French Cameroun military tribunal sitting in Bamenda, the chief town of Mezam County in Ambazonia, has handed down a heavy 25-year prison sentence to Otto Tingum, a former second deputy mayor of Belo Council in Boyo County, over his alleged role in the assassination of Belo Mayor Dr Ngong Innocent Ankiambom.
The controversial ruling, delivered on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, and reported by The Guardian Post, comes nearly two years after the shocking killing that rocked the entire Ambazonian territory. The court found Otto Tingum guilty of complicity in the brutal assassination of Dr Ngong, who was gunned down on 20 May 2024 in Belo, during preparations for the so-called Cameroon National Day celebrations.
The late mayor was shot at close range near the municipal grandstand at a time when local authorities and civilians had gathered under tight military presence. His killing sent fear and confusion across Boyo County and beyond, further exposing the deep cracks within local administrations operating under La République’s authority in Ambazonia.
In the same judgment, the military court cleared three other detainees who had been languishing in detention at Bamenda Central Prison since the early days of the investigation. Those acquitted include the Head Teacher of Government Primary School Baingo, a council worker identified as Julius Kumbam, and the Secretary General of Belo Council, Nges Ntam Confidence.
Scenes of relief and emotional outbursts were reported as families of the acquitted celebrated outside the courtroom. Speaking after his release, Nges Ntam Confidence declared that divine intervention had finally cleared his name, insisting he had no hand in the assassination plot.
Reports indicate that tensions had long existed between the late Mayor Dr Ngong and his deputy, Otto Tingum, prior to the killing. Otto is said to have filed multiple petitions with the colonial defence authorities in Yaoundé, accusing Dr Ngong of collaborating with Ambazonian restoration forces. These accusations reportedly poisoned their working relationship and may have set the stage for the tragic events that followed.
Following the assassination, Otto Tingum quickly emerged as a prime suspect. He was later arrested and subjected to prolonged interrogation by the French Cameroun gendarmerie in Bamenda, which led to the investigation being conducted under heavy secrecy.
After his assassination, the remains of Dr Ngong were transported under strict military escort from Belo to Bamenda and later to Yaoundé. He was eventually laid to rest on 27 July 2024 in the French Cameroun capital, far away from his native land in Boyo County.
During the funeral, political elites of La République, including Fundong Mayor Denis Dang Awoh, who also serves as the North West regional head of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon, made public calls for justice, even as many Ambazonians questioned the process’s credibility and neutrality.
Dr Ngong, elected in February 2020, had built a reputation as one of the few local administrators who had attempted to navigate the dangerous realities imposed by the ongoing war in Ambazonia. His death remains one of the most high-profile assassinations involving a council official in the conflict-hit territory.
This latest judgement by the Bamenda military court is already stirring debate across Ambazonia, with many raising concerns over whether true justice has been served or if deeper truths behind the assassination remain buried under the weight of political interests and occupation dynamics.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
