Journalists Fear For Detained Colleague’s Safety

Journalists in Cameroon’s Southwest region and the country at large, are concerned and worried over the safety of Buea-based Pidgin-Newscaster, Samuel Wazizi, who is held at the Motorised Infantry Battalion base in Buea, best known by its French acronym, BIM.  

BIM as it is often referred to, has been cited by many, as a unit where suspects are allegedly tortured severely, for information.

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Ewule Lyonga, defence counsel of detained Buea Journalist, Samuel Wazizi, says, he has been denied access to his client.

The Barrister at law made the statement recently following the transfer of Wazizi from the Muea 3 Police District to the 21^st Motorised Infantry Battalion’s Headquarters in the Southwest Region.

According to Ewule Lyonga, the Police Commissioner at the Muea 3 Police District, refused to grant bail to his client because the arrest was directed from ‘above’.

The Pidgin-English Newscaster, Wazizi, working with Buea-based CMTV, was arrested early August and detained in Muea, before later transferred to the 21^st Motorised Infantry Battalion.

The Police accused Wazizi of not collaborating with the authorities, allegations which he denied. It is alleged that separatist fighters have set up their camp on Wazizi’s farmland. Wazizi denied allegations that his farm is hosting Ambazonia fighters. While in detention at the Muea Police station, he offered to lead investigators to his farm, to prove that no camp exists there, but his offer was rejected.

While in Muea, his lawyer, colleagues, and family were allowed to see him. After spending about five days there, he was transferred to the 21^st Motorised Infantry Battalion, where he is not allowed to see his lawyer and close ones.

Journalists Fear For Wazizi’s Safety At BIM

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Journalists who have been pressurising the administration to release Wazizi, have expressed mixed feelings, when they leaned that he was rather taken to the 21^st Motorised Infantry Battalion, popularly referred to as BIM, instead of the Judicial Police Headquarters.

At the Judicial Police headquarters, journalists were told that Wazizi’s file had not reached their office. However, they were assured that after collaborating with the BIM, Wazizi will be sent to the Judicial Police, where further investigations will be carried, to see whether there is enough evidence for him to be tried in court.

Wazizi was working with CMTV, where he anchors a pidgin show, ‘Halla Ya Matter’.

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