By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The Yaoundé Military Court has finally broken its silence on the Ngarbuh Massacre, but the echoes of its gavel have triggered a seismic wave of public fury rather than a sense of closure.
On Thursday, February 19, 2026, the court handed down sentences for the 2020 slaughter of at least 22 civilians—including children and a pregnant woman—in Ngarbuh located in Ntumbaw, Ndu Subdivision, Donga Mantung Division of Cameroon’s North-West Region.
Yet, far from being hailed as a landmark for justice, the verdict has been met with a total outcry, as citizens and legal experts alike brand the punishment a “slap on the wrist” that mocks the memory of the dead.
The convicted individuals—Baba Guida, Sanding Sanding Cyrille, Haranga Gilbert, and Tata Nfor Maxwell Alias “Bullet”—were found guilty of chilling charges, including joint murder and violence against a pregnant woman.
Despite the gravity of these crimes, the sentences appeared to many as a betrayal of the legal system. Baba Guida was handed an eight year term, while Sanding Sanding Cyrille received five years. Ten-year sentences were given to Haranga and Maxwell were slammed on them for their roles.
Across the streets of Yaoundé and the grieving hills of Donga Mantung, the atmosphere is one of bitter disbelief. For many, the math of the military tribunal simply does not add up. Under Cameroonian law, premeditated murder typically carries a life sentence or the death penalty.
To see men convicted of a mass killing receive terms shorter than those often given to petty thieves or political protesters has ignited accusations of a state-sponsored cover-up according to city dwellers.
Lawyers representing the victims’ families have been vocal in their condemnation, arguing that these “insignificant” penalties fail to reflect the depravity of the acts committed on February 14, 2020.
One woman along the streets of Yaounde expressed profound doubt, stating she was unsure whether these four were the true perpetrators responsible for the brutal massacre of small children, and labeling the verdict overly soft.
“The skepticism runs deeper than the length of the prison terms,” a woman along the streets of Yaounde said. “There is a prevailing sense that the four men are sacrificial lambs, strategically offered to satisfy international donors and human rights organizations while the high-ranking architects of the raid remain untouched.”
Another resident accused the government of dragging its feet on the case for years, suggesting the convicted men might be serving as mere scapegoats while those responsible for the gruesome act as sitting in well-furnished offices or roaming the streets.
