What Happened

According to his family, the raid took place at night. Men in plain clothes and uniform entered the home, took his identity cards and passport, and left with no explanation. Achomba Hans has not been seen or heard since. His family and colleagues say he was targeted for his coverage of Anglophone region issues.

The use of abduction, disappearance, and informal detention appears consistent with other press-freedom violations across the country.

Silencing the Fourth Estate: A list of journalists under fire

The cases below highlight a system where independent journalism becomes dangerous in Cameroon.

• Samuel Wazizi — English-language journalist arrested August 2019 in the Southwest region; military later confirmed his death in detention in August 2019 after months of being missing.
  
  
• Martinez Zogo — Radio and online investigative journalist abducted on 17 January 2023 and found dead on 22 January near Yaoundé; known for exposing corruption.
  
• Germain Cyrille Ngota Ngota (also “Bibi Ngota”) — Editor of *Cameroun Express*, arrested February 2010, died in Yaoundé prison on 22 April 2010 under suspicious circumstances. 
  
  
• Thomas Awah Junior — Journalist and radio correspondent for Anglophone regions, arrested in 2017 and sentenced to 11 years for “terrorism, spreading false news, secession”.
  
  
• Pius Njawé — Founder of *Le Messager*, arrested over 100 times for his reporting, symbol of press freedom in Cameroon; died in a car accident in 2010 after decades of harassment. 
  
  
• Mimi Mefo Newuh — Female journalist reporting on the Anglophone conflict, arrested in November 2018 on “fake news” and security charges; later went into exile. 
  
  

These are only a few of many cases. The repression includes arrests, trials in military courts, forced exile and even assassinations.

What This Means

When a journalist simply disappears, the message is broader than the individual: it is a warning to all who might report beyond the official narrative.

Abductions and detentions bypass formal legal safeguards. Trials in military or special courts often lack transparency. The effect: a chilling atmosphere where self-censorship becomes the safer path.

Why This Matters for Democracy

Free journalism is the lifeblood of accountability. In a country where power goes unchecked, stories from the ground matter more than ever. When those stories are silenced, the public loses a vital mechanism for justice.

The case of Achomba Hans shows that threats now extend beyond official charges: the disappearance of a journalist becomes a civic emergency.