Professor Ivo Leke Tambo, a former secretary general of Cameroon's Secondary Education Ministry and now chair of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board, was among the victims.

The crisis in the mainly French speaking country began in late 2016 when the English speaking sections of Cameroon demanded independence. Conflicts between the government and groups in support of separatists have claimed the lives of thousands of people and forced thousands more to seek refuge in Nigeria.