Freedom of speech is the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, by any means. Notwithstanding the enormous benefits of free speech, governments have a duty to outlaw incitement to hatred and violence. Furthermore, limitations may be acceptable if they safeguard a particular public interest or other people’s rights and reputations.
Freedom of speech and the right to freedom of expression applies to ideas of all kinds including those that may be deeply offensive. This statement is controversial because in order to think, or form an informed opinion you have to risk offending others.
Investigative reporting is a systematic, in-depth, and original research and reporting, often involving the unearthing of secrets. Journalism in Cameroon is kind to those who report the obvious and not unearth secrets. Those who unearth information either get arrested, leashed on the streets or worst killed.
Consequence of Free Speech
After revealing secrets to the public, journalists have been arrested, killed, and disappeared over the years. Investigations have never determined whether the journalist’s disappearance had anything to do with discovering secrets, but it is certain that their disappearance, assassination, or detention occurred after publicising their findings.
In the subsequent paragraphs Cameroon Check will be analysing individual cases of some journalists who have suffered such fates. The common denominator of all these cases is everyone has the freedom of speech but expect what is coming.
Martinez Zogo
To have a background knowledge on the murder of Martinez zogo, read our earlier publication Shenanigans Of Journalist Martinez Zogo’s Death. Several weeks into the investigation, Amougou Belinda is the lead suspect in the assassination and has recently move to the Kondengui prison Yaoundé.
Rev Fr Ntsa Ebodé Olivier
Rev Fr Ntsa Ebodé Olivier’s death body was discovered on Friday 3, March at Obala, a locality located in the Lekié department, Center region. The Rev Fr was a close friends to Martinez Zogo and Fr Ola Bébé both deceased under suspicious circumstances.
The question plaguing the minds of people is,- is the assassination of Rev Fr Ntsa linked to the relationship he had with this deceased men? Investigations into the assassination will provide some answers.
During the investigation of Zogo’s assissination, Rev Fr Jean Jacque who was the first to react to Zogo’s disappearance was also assassinated. His connection is explain in this article.
Over the years, several religious leaders have been assissinated in Cameroon. Actu Cameroon has put up a list since 1983.
Ahmed Abba
He was a Hausa-language correspondent with Radio France International in the Far North region. failure that the Cameroonian government must correct if it wishes to gain the confidence and complete backing of its people as well as that of the international community in its fight against Boko Haram.
Abba is one of many journalists paying the price for reporting on conflict and security in Cameroon. Three other journalists – Baba Wame, Rodrigue Tongue, and Félix Cyriaque Ebolé Bola – arrested in 2014.
Abba was incarcerated for 876 days and released in Yaoundé on December 22, 2017. For more information about other journalist arrest during this time visit daily maverick.
Samuel Waziz
According to CPJ investigation, police detained Wazizi, whose full name is Samuel Ajiekah Abwue, on August 2, 2019, transferred him to military custody on August 7, and then held him incommunicado. The Cameroonian military declared on June 5, 2020 that Wazizi had passed away in government custody in August 2019.
The Cameroonian government disputed that Wazizi was tortured while claiming that Wazizi had died of “severe sepsis” in its announcement on June 5. The cause of his death is still unknown because no supporting documentation has been provided.
Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka
Njoka was arrested on May 15, 2020, and held in incommunicado detention until he was charged on June 11 with secession and complicity in an armed gang, according to CPJ’s research.
He was suspected of managing pro-secessionist WhatsApp groups, including the Bui Warriors group based in Kumbo, an English-speaking town in the Northwest region media reports.
Jean Datchoua, Military judge decided his crime was unquestionable and he is guilty and thus signed paper work sending him to kondengui prison for 6 months while awaiting trial.
He was charged with secession and complicity in an armed gang. All these are alleged crimes which have not been proved.
Paul Chouta
Three unidentified men in a green pick-up truck abducted Paul Chouta, drove him to the outskirts of the city, and viciously kicked and beat him with stones, bricks, a baton and a whip, according to a statement by his employer.In the statement, Cameroon Web editor-in-chief Emmanuel Vitus was unable to say what report may have prompted the latest attack.
This was not the first attack. In February 2019, Chouta was attacked outside his home following political coverage. Four months later, he was arrested on charges believed to be politically motivated. He was jailed for nearly two years until a court in May 2021 found him guilty and sentenced him to 23 months, which he had already served, and released him.
Emmanuel Mbombog Mbog Matip
On August 17, 2020, 6 armed men in civilian clothes arrested Mbombog Mbog Matip, director of the privately owned CliMat Social newspaper who also posts political commentary on Facebook, at his home in Yaoundé. He was arrested for “propagation of false news,” and detained until March 7, 2021.
At least 8 other journalists were imprisoned in Cameroon in connection with their work as of December 1, 2020, according to CPJ research.
In the months before he was arrested, Mbombog Mbog Matip was investigating an alleged coup attempt involving Colonel Joël Émile Bamkoui, the commander of Cameroon’s Division of Military Security. A branch of the military, as well as the alleged involvement of senior Cameroonian officials with five people arrested for robbery in Togo.
