Four Cameroonian journalists have been released without charge after spending several days in detention over allegations that they stole the glasses of Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey during an event in Yaoundé.
The journalists — Solange Djuikam, François Essomba, Igor Gwet Bibey and Pierre Mouchili — were arrested separately while covering a three-day Islamic Development Bank conference in the Cameroonian capital.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Cameroonian authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding their detention and establish responsibility for what it described as an abuse of media professionals.
Djuikam, publishing director of Univers Info Net, spent seven nights in custody, while Essomba, Bibey and Mouchili were held for five nights before their release on September 21.
According to CPJ, Djuikam was arrested on September 14 by two women who identified themselves as police officers and accused her of taking the minister’s glasses at the conference venue.
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Two days later, Essomba, correspondent for ChinAfrica newspaper, Bibey, publishing director of Inform Plus, and Mouchili, publishing director of Le Procès International, were also arrested over the same allegation.
The incident took an unexpected turn when the glasses were reportedly found inside the minister’s vehicle later that day.
Local media quoted the ministry’s communications unit as confirming that the missing glasses had been recovered from the minister’s car.
The four journalists were subsequently released without charges.
The case has generated concern among journalists and media organisations in Cameroon, with the circumstances surrounding the arrests prompting renewed discussions about press freedom and the treatment of reporters carrying out their professional duties.
CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative, Moussa Ngom, said the incident illustrated the risks journalists can face while working in Cameroon.
The organisation urged authorities to determine who ordered or carried out the arrests and to ensure that journalists’ rights are protected.
Cameroon’s government spokesperson, René Emmanuel Sadi, reportedly described the incident as an unfortunate situation caused by what he called excessive zeal by some security personnel.
Sadi also said Economy Minister Mey did not order the arrests and indicated that he would seek clarification from the police and take appropriate action.
The journalists’ release has ended their immediate detention, but questions remain over why they were held after the glasses were recovered.
For Cameroonian journalists and media organisations, the incident has become another focal point in discussions about professional safety, accountability and the operating environment for the press.
