Joy erupted in Idaho, United States, as Dr. Amber Ndewa reunited with her family after being detained in Cameroon for weeks.
But while Dr Amber and her three kids have returned to the US, her husband, Derogy Ndewa, is still being held in a Cameroonian prison.
The US couple was arrested in Cameroon last April and charged with cyber defamation.
That was because of a video about a property rent deal that involved the Cameroonian Ambassador to France and his wife.
However, the Ndewas have denied the allegations.
Following their detention, Dr Amber was later released on bail, and now she is back in the US.
“So happy and relieved to finally have my daughter, Amber, and 3 grandkids home from Cameroon & hope to have Derogy home soon too,” said the mother of Amber after receiving them in the US.
Diplomatic Efforts
Her return home was facilitated by diplomatic efforts from the US Senate and US Embassy in Yaoundé.
“Great to see an Idahoan family reunited. I hope the Cameroonian government will do the right thing and let Mr Ndewa return home soon too,” said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman.
“Working to bring Americans home is one of the most important roles of our government, and I’m always proud to work with President Trump to do it,” he added.
The chairman had, a week back, addressed a letter to the Cameroon Minister of Foreign Affairs threatening sanctions if the couple was not released.
How it all Started
In November 2024, the Ndewas made arrangements to rent a house in Yaoundé.
However, when it was time to move in, the landlord suddenly informed the Ndewas that he no longer wished to rent them the villa.
This decision came despite the Ndewas’ involvement in renovating the property over a ten-day period.
The property manager refused to refund the initial payment, which covered five months’ rent.
She allegedly stated that she would “make them run after their money”.
The couple contacted their lawyer, who advised them to gather evidence of a possible scam.
Dr Ndewa recorded a video in the presence of the manager to document what appeared to be potential fraud.
Mr Ndewa later shared the video with a trusted friend. Unfortunately, this friend posted the video online without the Ndewas’ consent.
The video quickly went viral in Cameroon.
Subsequently, the property owners, Claire Ekoumou and her husband, André Magnus Ekoumou (current Ambassador of Cameroon to France), filed a complaint against the Ndewas for cyber defamation, claiming that the video had been shared in collaboration with a group.
The property owners alleged that the Ndewas published the video after calling upon a bailiff to compel the manager to refund the five-month rental deposit.
A two-month investigation conducted by an officer at Central Police Station No. 1 concluded that it was likely the Ndewas neither published nor publicly shared the video.
Notably, Dr Ndewa remained at the villa for nearly two hours after the video was posted online, persistently demanding the return of their funds.
This timeline contradicts allegations that the Ndewas acted out of political motives; if that were the case, they could have left immediately after filming, without attempting to recover the money, the investigation confirmed.
The plaintiffs claimed the video was part of a political manoeuvre, an allegation the Ndewas strongly deny.
They maintain that their only motivation was to recover the money owed to them. The person who posted the video later publicly and privately confirmed to the investigator that they did so without the Ndewas’ consent and in direct violation of their instructions.
Throughout the investigation, the Ndewas fully cooperated and were legally represented by a lawyer.
Arrest warrants were reportedly issued against them in violation of Cameroonian law.
Central Police Station No. 1 arrested the Ndewas on March 12, 2024, following their summons for mediation.
Dr Ndewa was released on bail after about ten hours in custody.
