The Catholic Diocese of Mamfe in Cameroon has confirmed the tragic death of Father Carol Tchinda Nguito, the Parish Priest of St. Mathias Quasi Parish in Tabongkwa, after he was swept away by a powerful river during a pastoral mission.
“It is with a heart full of sorrow that on behalf of Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Abangalo Fondong, the Bishop of Mamfe, I make this announcement to you that he has been found dead,” said Father Julius Agbortoko, Acting Vicar General of the Diocese, in a statement issued on Saturday, August 2.
Father Carol went missing on July 31 while crossing a river as part of his pastoral duties. His disappearance sparked an extensive search and rescue operation involving clergy, family members, and parishioners from St. Mathias Quasi Parish. The coordinated effort was supported by the wider Christian community in the region.
Father Agbortoko expressed deep gratitude for the “ceaseless prayers and support during the period of the search and rescue mission,” and extended thanks to priests, family, and local faithful for their courage throughout the ordeal.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for Sunday, August 3, at 9:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral in Mamfe. “Let us commend the soul of our Priest, Rev. Fr. Carol Tchinda Nguito, to the Lord, that He may grant him a share of eternal life in His bosom,” the Acting Vicar General said, calling for Mary, Mother of Priests and Help of Christians, to intercede on his behalf.
St. Mathias Quasi Parish, under Father Carol’s pastoral care, serves rural communities in Cameroon’s South-West region—a region long devastated by conflict. Since 2016, the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions have been engulfed in violence following a crackdown on protests, sparking an armed separatist movement demanding independence for the self-declared republic of Ambazonia.
Father Carol’s death adds another sorrowful chapter to the ongoing crisis faced by Cameroonians living in these troubled areas.
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