By Hope Nda
The people of Ewonda in Buea, Southwest Cameroon, have filed a FCFA 1 billion civil claim against representatives of the neighboring Lower Ewonda community, accusing them of encroachment and destruction of farmlands and other property, following the government’s cancellation of some nine fraudulent land certificates.
The legal action is the latest development in a land dispute that has dragged on for over three years, during which the Ewonda community alleges they were violently chased from ancestral farmlands they had cultivated for generations.
The villagers claim their food and cash crops, upon which their livelihoods depend, were systematically destroyed by Lower Ewonda representatives, who had carved out the area as part of their village created in 2021.
Speaking on behalf of the Ewonda community on March 11, 2026, spokesperson Molua Njie Joseph expressed gratitude to Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, Henri Eyebe Ayissi, for what they describe as a just decision that restores their rights.
“We have a civil matter against those people who destroyed our crops — civil and criminal matter — for those people who encroached into our ancestral farmlands, did some destruction and chased us out of our farmlands with soldiers and policemen,” Molua Njie said.
He said the community’s suffering over the past three years has been immense.
“Our children cannot go to school because we were depending on that farmland to cultivate and sell our crops. We couldn’t do that; we were deprived of our crops,” Molua Njie added. “We want justice to take its course. The perpetrators should be punished and due compensation given to us.”
The legal victory began taking shape on November 11, 2025, when the Minister canceled seven land certificates belonging to Lower Ewonda — a village accused of attempting to establish itself on land traditionally belonging to the Ewonda community.
On March 4, 2026, he declared two remaining land certificates null and void, effectively dismissing Lower Ewonda’s claim to approximately 80 to 85 hectares of land.
The Ewonda natives had contracted Shalom Legal Consultants in Buea to defend their interests, and the firm’s complaints to the Ministry ultimately yielded the landmark decisions.
Barrister Dr. Nyonbadmia Evine, member Shalom Legal Consultants
Barrister Dr. Nyonbadmia Evine of Shalom Legal Consultants explained that with the cancellation of the irregularly obtained certificates, the land reverts to its original state prior to their issuance.
“So those who were on those lands may continue to be on those lands and we as lawyers and as human rights advocates, we will stand with decent practice, ethical standards to ensure that anybody who will likely come there to imperil or to disturb the quiet enjoyment of our clients will be prosecuted,” he said.
The legal team announced plans to pursue criminal complaints against those who facilitated the fraudulent certificates, including sworn surveyors who may have misled the administration.
Barrister Dr. Nicholas Ogbe Keme called for accountability beyond mere cancellation of land certificates.
“Those who misled the Minister should be made to answer. It is an offense, they should answer for it. We suspect a criminal network from the Subdivisional to the Divisional to the regional… It’s a network,” he said. “Before you build a land certificate you have to constitute a technical file. How and why was the Minister misled? Somebody somewhere sitting in the office as a public servant misled the Minister,” he added.
Barrister Vincent Fossung, Head of Shalom Legal Consultants, issued a stern warning to those who purchased land from Lower Ewonda representatives, advising them to stay off the land and to seek refunds.
“We will not want, from today, to see people there occupying land which does not belong to them in the name of buying from somebody who thought that the land was his,” he cautioned.
The legal team confirmed that experts have assessed the damage to Ewonda community farmlands at FCFA 1 billion, and the civil claim has been presented to the magistrate for preliminary investigations.
The criminal complaint aims to hold accountable all those who participated in obtaining the fraudulent certificates, including public officials who may have misled the Minister.