Sudden disappearance of journalist Martinez Zogo sparks several reactions

Three days after the disappearance of Martinez Zogo, a journalist at Amplitude FM, a radio station in Yaounde, nothing concrete is known about his whereabouts.

According to reports, the journalist well-known as the host of the program “Embouteillages” ( a programme known for its criticism of top government officials and other influential people in Cameroon) on Radio Amplitude Fm was abducted on the night of January 17, 2023 at about 8 pm as he was returning home from work.

Several political actors and different news outlets have flooded the media with reactions to his sudden disappearance.

The president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement party Maurice Kamto took to his Twitter handle on January 19th with the followig message:
“Since yesterday social media report the kidnapping of radio host Martinez Zogo by unidentified men. I bring my comfort to his family and ask for the competent authorities to take the necessary steps to clarify the unacceptable situation”.

The President of the People’s Movement for Dialogue and Reconstruction, MPDR party, Professor Jean Claude Shanda Tonme also reacted and condemned the threats against the press. He reiterates the urgency and the need to decriminalize press offenses.

“The MPDR deeply regrets this situation that comes at the same time as several journalists feel threatened and while the director of publication of the country’s daily newspaper, “The Messenger”, spent several hours of interrogation in the Gendarmerie services, despite a more than delicate health”.

It is alleged that Zogo recently made a comment regarding alleged embezzlement in public funds that benefited a well-known businessman, Amougou Belinga and this is pointed as the possible reason behind his sudden disappearance.

“We still have no news regarding Martinez Zogo but we remain hopeful that he is alive. The police, the gendarmerie, and the other intelligence services are already aware of this affair,” the Amplitude FM radio editor-in-chief explains as reported by the Info Matin neewspaper.

It’s should be recalled that Martinez Zogo was detained in January 2020 for defamation and was later released on March 20th 2020 due to intense domestic and global pressure from international organizations.