Little boy once marked for death by a cannibal tribe achieves remarkable milestone after being 'saved' by Australian TV

READ MORE: I was six years old when my cannibal tribe plotted to kill me

By NICHOLAS WILSON, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 00:21 GMT, 1 December 2025 | Updated: 00:31 GMT, 1 December 2025

Wawa Chombonggai has graduated from university two decades after he was marked for death and faced being eaten by members of his tribe in West Papua.

The six-year-old's fate was all but sealed before his story was relayed to millions of Australians on Nine's 60 Minutes program - sparking a race between rival TV networks to 'save' the orphan.

Last week, Chombonggai took to social media to thank the man actually responsible for his rescue - his adoptive father and Nine's local fixer, Kornelus Sembirang.

'Thank you to my parents, father and mother, who always supported me in everything starting from my early childhood until now,' he wrote, alongside an image of him holding a degree from the State University of Medan in Northern Sumatra.

'Congratulations also to father and mother for successfully schooling all of us children until the end. Lord Jesus bless us all.'

Chombonggai was marked for death after his native Korowai tribe charged him as a male witch whose sorcery they believed was responsible for the death of his parents.

Nine Radio's 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham happened to come upon the condemned six-year-old while filming an episode for 60 Minutes in 2006.

Fordham described meeting him as 'the most chilling moment' of the expedition, with his guide predicting Chombonggai would be lucky to live to his 16th birthday.

Wawa Chombonggai has graduated from university, nearly two decades after he was marked for death by members of his tribe in West Papua

Six-year-old Wawa touched the hearts of millions of Australians when his story was first captured by Nine's 60 Minutes program in 2006

Wawa is pictured across from host Ben Fordham and on the lap of Kornelus Sembirang

'They've got their eye on him and, that kid, any time in the next 10 years... they could get him, then they'd kill him, then they'd eat him,' the guide, Paul Raffaele warned.

It is disputed whether the tribe is still cannibalistic, but the boy's safety was apparently at so great a risk that his uncle was forced to flee with him to a nearby village.

Despite their concerns for the boy, the 60 Minutes team opted not to interfere with the tribe's customs after being assured he would live for at least another decade.

But the same couldn't be said for rival network Seven, which swiftly tasked its since-cancelled Today Tonight program with leading a televised rescue.

The mission wasn't fated to go ahead, with host Naomi Robson and her crew were deported soon after entering Indonesia for not having appropriate visas.

It sparked claims by Seven that officials had been 'tipped off' in a fresh offensive of the hard-fought ratings war, while Nine accused Seven of taking advantage of the six-year-old's circumstances.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Nine's local fixer Sembirang returned to Chombonggai's village and saved him, raising him as his son.

Chombonggai continues to live in North Sumatra, where he recently graduated with a degree in sports science. His early schooling was paid for by Seven.

Wawa recently graduated from a sports science degree in North Sumatra, where he lives

Aussie tradie left shattered by truckie's heartbreaking admission

He knows he may not be here today were it not for the public outcry following the 60 Minutes report and the financial assistance he received from Seven.

But he previously told the Daily Mail his interactions with the feuding TV stations left him fearful of future media engagements.

'I'm very closed now,' he told Daily Mail Australia from his new home in North Sumatra last year.

'I'm afraid of being tricked again or used as material for their media.'

Fordham said he was touched to see Chombonggai had come so far from the 'scared little boy' he first met, reflecting on the ensuing broadcasting war.

'The poor kid had no idea he was at the centre of a stupid TV tug of war in Australia,' he told The Australian.

'For the record, we did not leave Wawa behind to be eaten by cannibals. We simply followed the advice of a trusted local guide who assured us he would be safe.

'But a TV executive in an air-conditioned office at Channel 7 thought he knew better and launched the world's most ridiculous rescue mission.

'Wawa's graduation highlights the point he never needed rescuing by Naomi Robson.'

Daily Mail has contacted Chombonggai, Nine and Seven for comment.

Share or comment on this article:
Little boy once marked for death by a cannibal tribe achieves remarkable milestone after being 'saved' by Australian TV

Add comment