“Faced with turmoil, it responds with calm, dignity, and a firm commitment to duty.” In a Nov. 4 statement, Cameroon’s National Gendarmerie reaffirmed its loyalty to state institutions and emphasized the “discipline, loyalty, and unity of its personnel.” The message came just days after hearings in the murder trial of journalist Martinez Zogo, during which several officers faced accusations over their handling of the investigation.

The statement made no mention of the trial or the allegations raised before the Yaoundé Military Court. Its publication nevertheless came at a time of growing scrutiny of the investigation, particularly following testimony from Lieutenant Colonels Dieudonné Bialo and Parfait Ayissi Nanga. During an October 26 hearing, Bialo was questioned by Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, the former director general of the General Directorate for External Research (DGRE), who is among the defendants in the case. Bialo acknowledged that he had not personally witnessed Justin Danwe show videos to his superior. Asked whether other evidence corroborated that account, he said there was none. The exchange raised further questions from the defense about the evidence collected by the joint commission responsible for the investigation.

The October hearings also examined the detention conditions of several defendants. Questioned about a 28-day period in custody, Bialo defended the legality of the procedures, citing appearances before the government commissioner, the military prosecutor, and documents known as “soit-faire-retour.” The court has yet to determine whether those measures complied with the law. The most direct allegations against the investigators came from Lieutenant Colonel Parfait Ayissi Nanga, a former member of the joint investigative commission. He began testifying on October 26 as the prosecution’s 36th witness. Ayissi Nanga described the investigation as a “sham” and accused Colonel Jean-Pierre Otoulou and Lieutenant Colonel Dieudonné Bialo of identifying the killers and those who ordered the murder without sufficient evidence. He also claimed that he was removed from the investigation while pursuing alternative leads.

Ayissi Nanga challenged the conduct of his superiors as well. He was arrested on October 17, four days after requesting protection from the court, and released the following day. According to his testimony, Secretary of State for Defense in charge of the Gendarmerie Galax Etoga ordered his arrest. He claimed that officers questioned him, among other things, about whether he intended to testify against the Gendarmerie. The official reasons for his arrest have not been established in the publicly available information.

These allegations remain disputed. Ayissi Nanga himself identified Martin Savom, the former mayor of Bibey and a defendant in the case, as the person who directly carried out the murder. Savom’s lawyer, Clément Ananga, rejected that account, while lawyers representing the civil parties expressed reservations about the witness’s reconstruction of events. The government commissioner also asked Ayissi Nanga to provide physical evidence to support his claims.

The officer further acknowledged that he had arranged the arrest of businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga without a warrant. He maintained that he acted under procedures applicable to an investigation of an offense caught in the act. The legality of the investigative steps taken and the evidentiary value of the material collected remain under judicial examination. Against this backdrop, the National Gendarmerie chose to emphasize unity and loyalty to state institutions. Its statement did not address the specific allegations made in court, and there is no evidence establishing that it was published in response to the testimony.

The trial is scheduled to resume on November 16 and 17, 2026, before the Yaoundé Military Court. Hearings will continue to examine Ayissi Nanga’s statements and the evidence he claims to possess.

Source: Sbbc