Ngarbuh massacre: Military court sentences four guilty soldiers today.

The Court had on January 15, 2026, during a hearing in the case that had dragged on for five years, incriminated Baba Guida, Cyrille Sanding Sanding, Gilbert Haranga and Maxwell Tita Ndor.

The four were found guilty of murder, arson, destruction and violence against a pregnant woman, and disobeying orders of military hierarchy.

The hearing was presided by Justice Yvonne Léopoldine Akoa. The sentencing of the guilty soldiers, many who have had a keen eye on the case say, would bring about much relief on victims of the massacre. 

This, they added, is as the victims, national and international rights defenders had impatiently been waiting for justice to take its course in the case. 

Following the January 15 hearing that incriminated the soldiers, Senior Sahel Researcher at credible international rights organization, Human Rights Watch, Illaria Allegrozi, in a statement, described the court verdict as a step forward in the fight against impunity and “an important step in the search for the truth”. 

Allegrozi, however, regretted that no senior officers have been charged in the case.

“…the authorities missed an opportunity to demonstrate that no one is above the law, because the trial for the Ngarbuh massacre was an opportunity for the Cameroonian government to show Cameroonians and the international community, which invested heavily in the search for truth after the massacre, that it can hold its senior officers accountable for their actions,” she stated.

Allegrozi added that: “For me, the most serious thing is that no high-ranking officer has been arrested or charged in this trial. And even the 17 militiamen who allegedly helped the soldiers perpetrate this killing have been charged with murder, but are still free”.

Revisiting the sad incident 

When news of the February 14, 2020, massacre broke, the military initially denied any involvement. Following international pressure, President Paul Biya ordered investigations. 

The findings, released on April 21, 2020, by the Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, on behalf of President Biya, concluded that three soldiers, described as "uncontrolled" and disobeying orders, with the help of a militia group, were responsible for the massacre. 

President Biya had ordered the institution of disciplinary proceedings against guilty defence and security officers as well as members of the vigilante committee who were involved in the tragic incident.

Amongst other appeasement measures taken, the Head of State had ordered the exhumation of the corpses of all victims of the massacre “in order to give them a decent burial at the cost of the State and establish the necessary evidence to bring out the truth”. 

A process was also launched to identify the rightful claimants of the victims by the administration to enable the State to pay appropriate compensation and indemnities. 

Biya had also ordered the strengthening of security in the village of Ngarbuh by creating a military base and setting up other public services to ensure better protection of civilians against the abuses of armed groups.

Meanwhile, a monument in memory of the massacre victims was inaugurated in Ngarbuh. A financial indemnity of 80 million FCFA was shared to the families of the victims.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3708 of Thursday February 19, 2026