Colleagues indifferent as journalist Ernest Obama Spends first night in detention

The former director of Vision 4 television; a local television channel in Cameroon has spent his first night in detention at the secretary of state for defence (SED) in Yaounde.

Arrested Thursday June 18th 2020 at Vision 4 head office in Yaounde at about midday, social media rumour later announced his release.

A source in Vision 4 TV has confided in Mimi Mefo Info that: “He has not been set free. He was not in the office today and did not return to his house after the arrest. This means Obama is still at SED”.

Reasons for the arrest of the journalist and former director of Vision 4 have not been officially started but there have been a lot of talks on Obama’s mismanagement of funds while as director, treason, forgery among other wrong doing.

At the moment, Anecdotes Media group(Vision 4 TV, Sattelite FM and Anecdotes newspaper ) headed by a business guru , Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga has not issued any official statement following the arrest of one of its employees. But during an 8:00 newscast on Thursday, his colleagues said he was no longer journalist with Vision 4 and that he was charged with “high treason” and “abuse of confidence”.

The humiliating nature in which Ernest Obama was arrested has divided public opinion in Cameroon. Many think the mixed team of gendarmerie and police men violated the legal process of arrest by removing the shoes of the journalist in a humiliating manner in the course of the arrest.

Surprisingly enough, journalists in Cameroon have been silent since the arrest of their colleague Ernest Obama. To some, Obama has been a controversial journalist fanning tension in all areas most especially in the anglophone regions of Cameroon. Videos are circulating on the social media have he called on the government to raid the North West and South West regions as well as popular anglophone quarters in Yaounde to fish out terrorists.

Many have tagged him of total arrogance and demonstration of hatred against some tribes in Cameroon.

As journalists have opted to watch Obama tuzzle with the regime, it should be noted that, he once attacked with all his might and strength, Denis Nkwebo, president of Cameroon Journalist trade union (SNJC). Nkwebi has taken on his personal tweeter account Thursday June 18th to condemn his arrest and detention.

His condemnation has not attracted many attention contrary to what is obtained when ever a journalist is arrested in Cameroon.

Other journalists have however, been calling for his release.