06/08/2026
The Separation of Ntoh NKongsia and His Brothers during the migration of the Bawum( Mberifii,Mbelefe ) people
According to Bawum oral history, the ancestors of the Bawum people began their migration from Bamunyam in search of a permanent homeland. During their journey, they first settled at Ala’ante, known today as Up Station (Mendankwe) in Bamenda. The family remained united there for some time.
Oral tradition recounts that a goddess appeared before the people and asked for water to drink. While some members of the group refused her request, Ntoh’s wife persuaded her husband to offer the goddess water. After drinking, the goddess thanked them and instructed the people to leave the settlement immediately. She warned them not to look back until they had crossed a river. A lady looked back and was transformed into a rock 🪨.
Trusting the divine instruction, the people departed and continued their journey until they crossed the Mezam River, located between present-day Mile 6 and Mile 7 in Mankon.
After crossing the river, they paused to rest and quench their thirst. Believing they were now safe, they looked back and witnessed what oral tradition describes as a great earthquake or earth eruption that destroyed the area they had abandoned at Ala’ante (Up Station/Mendankwe). The people interpreted this event as proof that the goddess had protected them by warning them to leave before the disaster occurred because Ntoh gave her the water to drink. History holds that, it's because of the water Ntoh gave the goddess to drink, that is why when a Bawum person dies, it must rain 🌧️.
Everything left behind was destroyed. Those who had remained behind perished, together with their possessions, including Ntoh’s herd of dwarf cattle, which was completely lost.
It was on the banks of the Mezam River that an important decision shaped the future of the Bawum lineage. Ntoh Nkongsia, the leader of the migrating group, proposed that they continue their journey toward the area that is today known as Bafut. However, his three brothers disagreed. They believed that the land in that direction would not provide a suitable place for settlement.
As a result, the brothers separated and led their families and followers in different directions:
* Ntoh Mforbunaa migrated toward Bali Gham, where he established his descendants.
* Ntoh Mforbujang journeyed toward Kom and later became the founder of the Mejang Sub-Chiefdom in Kom.
* Ntoh Mformaten moved westward toward Bali Nyonga, where his descendants later settled, although many were eventually dispersed by wars.
Meanwhile, Ntoh Nkongsia and the rest of the group continued toward the Bafut area, where the Bawum people eventually established their permanent settlement.
This separation during the migration explains why branches of the Bawum lineage are found today in Bali Nyonga, Bali Gham, and Mejang in Kom. Although these groups settled in different locations, they all trace their ancestry to the same Bawum forefathers and share a common historical origin.
According to Bawum tradition, this division also explains why the population of Bawum remained relatively smaller than that of some related communities. The original migrating group had split into several branches before reaching its final destination, with each branch establishing its own settlement and lineage.
Today, this account remains an important part of Bawum oral tradition. It preserves the memory of the migration, the unity of the four brothers, and the shared ancestry that continues to bind the people of Bawum, Bali Gham, Bali Nyonga, and Mejang in Kom. It serves as a reminder that, despite settling in different lands, these communities are connected by a common origin and a shared cultural heritage.
