The
Archdiocese of Bamenda has buried Gerard Akiata Anjiangwe a young Seminarian
shot dead on the 4th of October in front of the Roman Catholic
Church in Bamenssing Ngoketunjia Division of the North West Region.
The heavily
attended funeral at the St Joseph Metropolitan Cathedral Mankon Bamenda October
16, gave the Archbishop of Bamenda an opportunity to once again exhort the
powers that be to put a definite stop to the wanton extrajudicial killings that
have taken the Anglophone regions hostage.  |
| Killed Seminarian in Bamessing Ndop |
Archbishop
Cornelius Fontem Esua will also note that from the moment the Anglophone crisis
started in November 2016 transformed into an armed conflict, more and more innocent
people have been killed on daily basis either by the military or separatist
fighters.
The
prelate describes the situation as “a vicious cycle of violence” because of the
confrontations between the military and the “Amba Boys”.
As
he preaches in an emotion packed church, the prelate notes that many have been
killed by persons who are taking advantage of the situation adding that the killings
are indiscriminately done with babies, youths, old women and men being
gruesomely murdered.
The
continuous destruction of property rendering many people homeless and refugees
in and out of the country and the mass exodus of people out of the Anglophone
regions for fear of wanton arrests by the military His Grace Cornelius Fontem stated
that ‘human life has been desecrated” because not only are people being killed
gruesomely, but “the corpses are abandoned in the streets for days to be
feasted on by pigs and dogs.”
While
noting that everyone shall give an account of their lives and actions, He reminded
the Christians of the Biblical Commandment which states “Thou shalt not kill.”
Inspired
by the day’s Gospel reading in which the sisters of Lazarus grieved over the
death of their brother, the Archbishop noted that the people in the crisis
regions today find themselves in a situation worse than that of Mary and
Martha. “Although death is an inevitable transition which everybody must go
through”, he observed that “it is sometimes difficult to accept because of the
manner in which it comes.”
Gerard
Akiata according to the prelate has been brutally murdered and those left
behind are forced to ask many questions: “is God truly alive”? “Why did He
allow this to happen”? He however assured the congregation that through his
resurrection, Jesus has conquered sin and death. “The risen Christ is in our
midst in the present socio-political crisis and he suffers with us in this situation”,
he went on.
Talking
about the fallen seminarian, Archbishop Esua said he was the first priestly
candidate to have come from Konda in Njikwa Subdivision. He added that after
interviewing Gerard, he was convinced the young man was a promising candidate.
After reading to the congregation a portion of Gerard’s application to be
admitted for priestly formation, Archbishop Esua said that although he had not
been officially given a clerical dress, he decided that Gerard be buried in a
soutane.
In
conclusion, the Archbishop said in this moment of grief, the faithful should
not lose hope but renew their faith in Christ to provide the grace to stand for
justice and truth, for nothing conquers except the truth. He exhorted the
congregation to pray for all those who have lost their lives as a result of the
crisis and pray especially for the perpetrators of the killings.
Brief
Biography
Born
on the 31st of October 1998 in Konda, Njikwa Subdivision, Gerard
Akiata Anjiangwe was the fourth of six children and the only son of his parents.
After secondary and high school education in G.S.S Konda and St. Benedick’s
College, Widikum, Gerard did a prospective year in St. Aloysius’ Minor
Seminary, Kitiwum. He was to begin the Spiritual Year of Priestly formation in
St. John Mary Vianney Spiritual Formation Centre, Bafut on Friday October 12,
2018. He was on pastoral work at the St. Therese’s Quasi Parish, Bamessing-Ndop
while preparing to go to the Spiritual Centre. He died in the morning of
Thursday October 4, 2018.
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| Gerard Akiata Anjiangwe |
In
a release that circulated on social media just after his gruesome murder, The
Archbishop of Bamenda and His Auxiliary explained that that it was at the end
of the Holy Mass, after some of the Christians had left, Gerard Anjiangwe and
some readers were still in the Mission preparing for the liturgy of the
following day. They were standing out of the church when a military van coming
from Ndop stopped at the entrance of the road leading to the church. Some of
the military alighted from the van and started shooting. Some altar servers who
were returning home after the Mass ran back to the church and others to the
nearby bush. The readers who were with Gerard near the sacristy, seeing the
military coming, ran into the sacristy and closed the door whereas Gerard, who
was still outside, prostrated on the ground while praying the rosary. The
military men tried to open the Church door but did not succeed. They approached
Gerard lying prostrate on the ground and asked him to stand up, which he did
without hesitating. After interrogating him, he was asked to lie down again.
Then he was shot three times on the neck and he died instantly.