Cameroon Martinez Zogo murder trial

In July 2026, Colonel Jean‑Pierre Otoulou testified before Yaoundé's military tribunal, alleging that businessman Jean‑Pierre Amougou Belinga and his media chief Bruno Bidjang orchestrated the January 2023 kidnapping and killing of journalist Martinez Zogo. He cited a WhatsApp message promising a “day J,” surveillance footage linking DGRE director Justin Danwe to Belinga’s residence, and a financial agreement sealed at Belinga’s home. The defense challenged the consistency of the testimony, and the court adjourned the case to early August for further cross‑examination.

By early August, the trial resumed. Otoulou again testified, this time about a missing iPhone 12 that the accused discussed; the phone was later recovered at a repair shop but was not handed to investigators. Lawyer Calvin Job accused a government commissioner of sabotaging the probe by deeming the phone unnecessary, calling it a serious breach. The proceedings have drawn heightened scrutiny of Cameroon’s security forces amid broader domestic tensions, including a cholera outbreak in the Extreme North and political maneuvering ahead of upcoming elections.