Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) expresses concern over the act of Cameroonian security officials who arrested and detained Ojong Joseph, a reporter with the Manyu Community Radio and The Advocate Newspaper.

 

Local reports say the human rights reporter, Ojong Joseph was arrested on Sunday in Mamfe, and is being held on allegations of taking pictures of the house of a police officer, burnt down by separatist fighters on Friday.

 

The Advocate Newspaper also confirms this on its Facebook Page, “Alert: #HumanRights Reporter, Ojong Joseph, Journalist With Manyu Community Radio and The Advocate Newspaper, has been arrested by Security Officers in Mamfe. He is being held since Sunday on allegations that he took pictures of the house of a police officer, burnt down by separatist fighters. We call for his immediate & unconditional release. #JournalismIsNotACrime,”

 

This comes barely two months after the public announcement of the death of Samuel Wazizi who was abducted by security personnel in August 2019. The death of Wazizi was only announced in June by Cameroonian authorities after the agititation by family members and the media on the whereabouts of journalists, authorities announced that he died in August 2019 from injuries sustained in detention.

 

Following the recent increasing attack on Press Freedom in the country, family and colleagues are now worried about Ojong’s safety.

 

“Mr. Joseph Ojong, another example of the arbitrary & continuous violation of rights by the #frecnchcameroun government”, murder, theft, fraud, & violating every right there is, is their expertise”, says a tweeter user.

 

AMDF strongly condemns the illegal arrests and detentions of journalists in Cameroon. We are calling for the release of Ojong Joseph, and every other journalist who has been illegally kept in detention by Cameroonian authorities because of professional practice.