Cameroon village attacked by militants twice already this year

A small village in Cameroon has witnessed two deadly attacks by Islamic militants in 2024 already. Please pray for them as they mourn, and for protection and strength.

It’s hard to imagine the trauma and pain you’d feel if your village was attacked by Islamic militants. It’s even harder to imagine having the same dreadful experience twice in the same year.

Last week, a small community in Cameroon experienced just that nightmare. On the night of Friday 15 March, Boko Haram militants stormed Lambram, near the Nigerian border in the Far North of Cameroon. The sustained attack lasted into the following morning.

Father of five murdered

Mogozo Tehawa, a Christian father of five, was shot and killed. Other villagers managed to escape the attack, but have lost their livelihoods and vital food and livestock.

The Christian community is all too aware that Boko Haram might attack, so they have plans in place for when it happens: they go and hide in the mountains for the night, and try to piece together their lives in the aftermath. But Mogozo didn’t manage to escape, as Pastor Paul, who leads Mogozo’s church, explains: “That night he was delayed and, because he couldn’t hear well, he did not hear their footsteps. They met him alone in his house and killed him.”

On the following morning, Christians gathered in his compound to bid farewell to their brother in Christ.

Displacement and fear

Fear continues to loom large in the area, and some Christians from Lambram have moved to neighbouring communities. Since the start of 2024 at least 1,500 people have been displaced in the Far North of the country, due to regular attacks like this one.

“The attacks are getting too much,” says Pastor Paul. “But the people don’t have many options. Their farms and lives cannot be moved. So they return, hoping that God keeps them safe."

It’s only been a few weeks since the village was previously attacked. In January, about 100 Boko Haram fighters invaded – looting Christian homes, and killing Ngahadek Doula, a woman in her late 60s, as they shot randomly at her house.

“Boko Haram started shooting their guns all over the village and they shot my house so many times,” remembers Ngahadek’s husband, speaking to Open Doors partners in the region. “When the shooting stopped, I took her to the nearby clinic, but she never opened her eyes again.”

Keep praying for this vulnerable community

Lambram is a small village – there are only 40 homes, and these are mostly lived in by women, children and the elderly. Because these attacks happen so often, and men are often the target of Islamic militants, the men of the community mostly spend their nights up in the mountains.

It is very rare for militants to be prosecuted for this violence, and they seem to attack with impunity. “The repeated attacks on Christian communities and villages in the Far North of Cameroon by Boko Haram and ISWAP continue largely unnoticed by the international community,” says Jo Newhouse*, Open Doors spokesperson for the region. “We are horrified by this violence, and we call on the international community to act to make sure the Government of Cameroon protects all affected communities and offers support to the men, women and children who have been displaced.”

Please keep praying for these vulnerable communities, and praise God for their faithfulness in following Him in the face of such dangers.

*Name changed