By Tata Mbunwe
Cameroon’s foremost opposition party, Social Democratic Front (SDF), has urged authorities to immediately arrest killers of journalist Martinez Zogo, who was found dead in Yaounde on Sunday morning, five days after his abduction.
In a release published Sunday, Ni John Fru Ndi’s party says the journalist’s murder is an indication that journalists in Cameroon are on the crossroads of terror.
“Other media men, journalists and public men are on the crossroads of this terror, including web journalist Paul Chouta. After the Wazizi, Bishop Balla and many other cases, it is clear that the assassination of the sons of the country by the CPDM regime is a political program,” SDF’s Centre Region President, Emmanuel Ntonga, wrote.
It further called for the “immediate arrest of perpetrators, whose identity cannot be ignored”.
Martinez Zogo, host of a popular program on Amplitude FM, a Yaounde-based radio station, was found dead in a decomposing state on Sunday morning, five days after he was abducted on his way from work.
Reports say the journalist had been a staunch critic of pro-regime billionaire, Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, CEO of Anecdote media group.
Zogo had been following up an embezzlement case against Belinga prior to his abduction and murder.
The SDF says his killing was only possible thanks to the government’s “total indifference”.
Martinez Zogo was abducted on Tuesday, January 17, and on Friday, 20 January 20, the Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, said the government was keeping track of the case.
Sadi also said the government is doing its best to guarantee press freedom in the country, although media rankings prove otherwise.
The Cameroon government has been heavily criticised for always promising to investigate criminal cases but not doing so.
The case of Buea-based TV journalist Samuel Wazizi, who died in government detention in 2019, remains fresh in the minds of many journalists.
The case has since been buried with no investigations ever conducted, despite President Paul Biya having promised to do so.
Mimi Mefo Info
