3 civilians killed as armed men led by BIR soldier open fire in Ekona, Cameroon

Three civilians were killed on Sunday in the Electric Line neighborhood of Ekona after armed men, reportedly led by a soldier from the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), opened fire indiscriminately and broke into homes.

According to residents and a report from the Cameroon News Agency (CNA), the group was led by a soldier identified as “Moja Moja,” whose real name is given as John Eko Ewume. The men arrived in the area, fired shots randomly, forced their way into residences, and killed three people on the spot.

The incident has deepened fear among local residents, who say civilians continue to be caught in the middle of violence involving government forces and armed separatist groups in the Anglophone regions.

CNA further reported that Moja Moja has a prior record of actions against civilians. He was previously arrested and jailed in Yaoundé after similar allegations of tormenting residents, yet appears to have resumed operations in Ekona.

The killings highlight the ongoing insecurity in parts of the Southwest Region, where communities frequently report being trapped between security force operations and separatist activities. No official statement from Cameroonian military or government authorities was immediately available at the time of the initial reports.

Residents described the attack as random and lawless, with the soldier allegedly acting outside formal command structures. Local accounts emphasize that ordinary people remain the primary victims of such flare-ups.