Journalists in Cameroon’s Southwest region are again pushing and advocating for the release of their colleague, Adama Meriline Ngwa espouse Gabila, Southwest Bureau Chief and Journalist with Vision 4 Television.
The reporter who was arrested on the 12th of August 2024 at the Douala international airport, and taken to Buea where she has been detained for several months at the 21st Motorized Infantry Battalion is said to be in a very poor state of health.
Though the reasons for her arrest have not been publicly communicated, those familiar with the case have said that it is in relation with her investigating and reporting about the atrocities of military officers and other government officials involved in the war against separatist fighters in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions.
Reports of her ill health, have been corroborated by her lawyers who after several attempts were allowed to see her. After the meeting, the lawyers also indicated to Meriline’s colleagues that she isn’t in good condition, and requires prompt medical attention.
Colleagues fear the arrest of Meriline may end up like that of Samuel Wazizi who was taken in similar fashion and ended up dead in a manner colleagues and family members have not been able to receive a convincing answer to. Arbitrary arrests, detention, and sometimes killing of journalists continue to scare the media practitioners who now operates in total fear. This has forced many to abandon their journalism practice.
Many had hoped that the subtle lobby option they chose will cause the officials involved in the case to be considerate and release the reporter sooner, as opposed to before, when the media corps had always approached with outright condemnation and show of might, which often ends with officials digging in and holding on in moves always seen as rather trying to portray their power through the show of force. However, the subtle approach seems to have yielded very little to nothing, as the reporter has now spent months in detention with no clear path to regaining her freedom and continuing her work as a reporter.
The latest arrest of Meriline, which comes after some other incidents where she has been picked up or summoned by security officers and then released later, seems to be different. It is worsened by the detaining officials’ approach of not communicating clearly the crime they are accusing the journalist of. When approached, the reply of officials who never want to be quoted is that investigations are still ongoing. This, however, poses a great concern for other reporters, who fear the method is a means to silence journalists and activists who are arbitrarily arrested and kept for months or years while government officials claim investigations are ongoing. This then begs the question about whether officials should investigate before arresting a person, or arrest and then detain indefinitely while carrying out snail-paced investigations.