A Nation in Mourning: Six-Year-Old Mathis Stabbed to Death in Yaoundé Revenge Attack

The suspect: Nwafo, a neighbour known locally as “Blake,” and reportedly the father of renowned slam artist Lydol. After being struck with a glass during a dispute with Mathis’ father at a nearby bar, Nwafo allegedly returned home, took a knife, and entered his neighbour’s house. There, he found Mathis watching television and stabbed him three times. The boy tried to escape, running outside calling for his mother before collapsing on the street.

“Tonton, tu me fais mal,” he reportedly cried — his final words, echoing across the country.

Witnesses said Blake was later captured by enraged locals, beaten severely, and handed over to police in an unconscious state. The killing took place barely 50 metres from the 5th arrondissement police station, yet fear and silence hang over the neighbourhood. Residents refuse to speak, and witnesses remain in hiding.

“Un petit ange arraché à la vie…” – Cameroon’s Erosion of Innocence

“Il ne se passe pas un seul jour sans que la mort violente ne frappe. Le sang coule, encore, trop souvent. Et cette fois, c'est celui d'un enfant.”

The murder of Mathis is not an isolated tragedy. It is the most recent and most horrifying chapter in a disturbing pattern of violence against children in Cameroon. From urban centres like Douala and Yaoundé to towns like Sangmélima and Bamenda, child killings have become a recurring and underreported national crisis.

Chronology of Recent Child Murders in Cameroon (2022–2025)

Each case bears a similar theme: impunity, silence, and failing institutions. Whether by bullet, blade, or beatings, children are paying the ultimate price in a country where violence festers unchecked.

A Society at a Crossroads

The murder of Mathis has sparked both grief and fury. Mme Tchato Henriette, a devoted advocate for children who had recently expressed outrage over Mathis' death, tragically passed away days later following a sudden illness — another blow to those fighting for justice.

Meanwhile, singer and slam artist Lydol, daughter of the accused, has come under heavy attack online. Critics accuse her of shielding her father in an earlier murder case, and some demand her silence or withdrawal from public life. Others defend her, saying:

“On ne choisit pas ses parents. La responsabilité pénale est individuelle.”

She has since cancelled all concerts and expressed deep sorrow.

The Deeper Malaise: “Où est passée la valeur de la vie humaine ?”

Cameroonians are asking hard questions:

• Why are more disputes ending in bloodshed?

• Why does poverty, anger, and hopelessness often turn inward — toward the most vulnerable?

• Why do authorities fail to act, even when evidence and outcry are overwhelming?

From ritual killings, domestic abuse, military violence, to mob justice, a terrifying normalization of brutality is taking hold.

“Le crime devient une norme silencieuse. La peur habite les esprits. L’indifférence gagne les cœurs.”

What Next?

Cameroon Concord calls for:

• Urgent judicial action in the Mathis case and all pending child murder cases.

• Independent investigations into local law enforcement negligence, particularly in Sangmélima.

• National child protection reforms, including legal aid for victims' families and trauma support.

• Media and civil society mobilization to end the culture of silence.

Mathis was not a casualty of coincidence. He was a mirror — reflecting a society that must choose: transformation or decay.

His name joins a heartbreaking list. But may it be the last to do so.

Reported by Cameroon Concord – Edited by the Investigations Desk
Follow-up coverage on judicial outcomes, national child protection response, and community reconciliation in progress.