Cameroon: Missing Winners Chapel’s Pastor Found Dead In River

Relatives of Yanick Chu, a junior pastor at Winner’s Chapel Bonabéri, have been in shock since Tuesday, September 5^th, 2023.

This is after Chu’s body was found in the Wouri River. Wouri is situated in Douala, the commercial city of Cameroon.

Three days before Chu’s body was found, MMI had published a missing person alert about him.

The message, which was accompanied by his picture, read:

“Yanick Chu is a junior pastor at Winners Chapel Bonabéri. Since Friday night, my brother hasn’t returned to the house. He left the house, leaving his phone at home, and yesterday morning a strange number called his phone, and his wife picked up the call. The person who picked up the call said he found an ID card at the Wouri breach in Douala. You can help this troubled family find Yanick by sharing and spreading the word.”

His family’s fear was that the worst might have happened to Chu, as he did not inform even his wife before leaving the house.

“They had a brief verbal exchange, and he left the house in anger, he didn’t return, I am worried,” the sister who informed MMI about his disappearance noted.

But it seems she had every reason to be worried, as the brother’s body was found barely two days later.

Authorities have not been able to determine the exact cause of his death – but it is widely speculated that he committed suicide.

Reactions pour in

“His wife should be questioned about any possible disagreements that may have led to this devastating incident. The dispute between the couple could have driven the young pastor to take his own life,” Nji Savastine, a concerned Cameroonian, said.

“God, what’s happening to this country? Dead bodies every day?” Kamers Nation wrote on Facebook.

Yanick Chu was a promising junior pastor at Winners Chapel in Bonabéri. He died at the age of 34.

Amina Hilda contributed to this piece