Disputed-cause boundary: severe sepsis is the Cameroonian Ministry of Defence’s stated cause of death. Allegations of torture are attributed to journalists and rights groups. Without a published independent inquiry or autopsy, this archive does not convert either position into a final judicial finding.
A journalist covering the Anglophone crisis
Wazizi worked as a broadcast journalist and cameraman for Chillen Muzik and Television, an independent English-language broadcaster in Buea. He hosted the Pidgin-language current-affairs program Hala Your Mata, reporting critically on the government’s handling of conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions.
His legal name appears in sources as Samuel Ajiekah Abuwe or closely related transliterations. “Samuel Wazizi” was the professional name by which he was widely known.
Arrest and transfer to military custody
Police took Wazizi into custody on 2 August 2019 at the Muea police station in Buea. Authorities alleged that he had collaborated with separatists and spread separatist information. His lawyers said he denied the accusations and was never formally charged or brought before a competent court.
On 7 August, he was transferred to the 21st Motorised Infantry Battalion. From then on, his family, colleagues and lawyers were unable to see him or obtain reliable official information about his location and condition. Habeas-corpus applications sought either a lawful charge or his release, but did not produce disclosure of his fate.
The death disclosed ten months later
Independent broadcaster Équinoxe TV reported on 2 June 2020 that Wazizi had died at a military hospital in Yaoundé. Three days later, Cameroon’s Ministry of Defence acknowledged that he had died in government custody on 17 August 2019—only fifteen days after his arrest.
The ministry said severe sepsis caused his death, denied torture or physical abuse and stated that the family had been informed. Family members disputed receiving such notice. Amnesty International and CPJ noted that no autopsy had been disclosed and that officials had continued receiving court petitions seeking Wazizi after the stated date of death.
Injuries, autopsy and competing accounts
Reporters Without Borders said it reviewed photographs taken during Wazizi’s transfer to Yaoundé on 13 August 2019 that showed injuries on several parts of his body. Rights organizations argued that those images and the prolonged concealment required an independent inquiry into possible torture or ill-treatment.
The government’s denial remains part of the record. The available sources do not provide a court-tested forensic conclusion. Media Defence reported in January 2026 that no autopsy had been performed, the body had not been returned to the family and its location remained undisclosed.
An announced inquiry without public findings
After international pressure, President Paul Biya announced in June 2020 that an investigation would be opened. The national human-rights commission later told advocates that a military-intelligence inquiry had delivered findings to the presidency in October 2020. Those findings were not published.
Media Defence reported that a Ministry of Justice representative told a United Nations Committee Against Torture review in November 2024 that the file was closed and classified. In January 2026, the organization filed a claim against Cameroon before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, alleging violations arising from Wazizi’s arrest, disappearance, death and lack of effective investigation.
Why the case remains unresolved
The arrest, transfer to military custody and death are acknowledged facts. The unresolved questions concern the exact cause and circumstances of death, whether Wazizi was tortured, why his death was concealed for ten months, where his remains are, and whether any official bears criminal or disciplinary responsibility.
No prosecution, conviction or published independent finding resolving those questions was verified. The archive therefore classifies the case as an unresolved death in custody rather than assigning a perpetrator or definitive cause beyond the government’s disputed account.
Timeline
- 2 August 2019 — Police arrest Samuel Wazizi in Buea.
- 7 August 2019 — He is transferred to a military unit and held incommunicado.
- 13 August 2019 — Sources later place his transfer to Yaoundé on this date.
- 17 August 2019 — The government later says he died at Yaoundé Military Hospital.
- 2–5 June 2020 — Media report the death; the Ministry of Defence confirms it and cites severe sepsis.
- June–October 2020 — An inquiry is announced; advocates are told findings reached the presidency.
- November 2024 — A government representative reportedly describes the file as closed and classified.
- 7 January 2026 — Media Defence announces an African Commission claim.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Samuel Wazizi?
He was a broadcast journalist and cameraman for CMTV in Buea who reported on the Anglophone crisis.
What caused his death?
The government said severe sepsis. Rights groups questioned that account and sought an independent investigation; no final judicial or independent forensic conclusion was verified.
Was he formally charged?
His lawyers and rights groups said he was never formally charged or brought before a competent court.
Was an autopsy conducted?
Sources reviewed for this file report that no autopsy was performed.
Has anyone been convicted?
No prosecution or conviction concerning his death was verified.
Sources and source-quality review
The file uses CPJ, Amnesty International, OMCT/FIDH and RSF for contemporaneous reporting, alongside Media Defence’s January 2026 litigation update. Government claims are recorded through these sources and clearly separated from allegations and advocacy findings.
- Media Defence — Seeking justice for Samuel Wazizi7 January 2026 · litigation, autopsy, remains and inquiry status
- Committee to Protect Journalists — call for an independent inquiry10 June 2020 · arrest, custody and government account
- Amnesty International — Cameroon must ensure an independent probeJune 2020 · disappearance, habeas corpus and disputed notification
- OMCT/FIDH Observatory — confirmation of death in detention8 June 2020 · official statement and accountability request
- Reporters Without Borders — inquiry findings must be published16 December 2020 · photographs, inquiry and undisclosed remains
Status note
Reviewed through 1 October 2026. The official cause remains disputed, the inquiry findings were not published, and no final accountability outcome was verified.
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