The "Lunettegate" Scandal: How a Missing Pair of Glasses Led to the Arbitrary Detention of Cameroonian Journalists

DAKAR, September 24, 2026 — In a bizarre and chilling turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the Cameroonian media landscape, four journalists were released from police custody this week after spending days behind bars. Their crime? Being suspected of stealing the eyeglasses of Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey—an item that was later discovered sitting, undisturbed, inside the Minister’s own vehicle.

The incident, colloquially dubbed "Lunettegate" by local observers, has evolved from a farcical misunderstanding into a major human rights scandal. It has ignited a fierce debate regarding the precarious nature of press freedom in Cameroon, prompting national media unions to declare a formal boycott of the Minister’s events and drawing sharp condemnation from international press freedom watchdogs.

The Chronology of a Kafkaesque Nightmare

The ordeal began on September 14, 2026, at the start of a high-profile, three-day Islamic Development Bank conference held in Yaoundé. Solange Djuikam, the publishing director of Univers Info Net, was attending the event to fulfill her professional duties. Without warning, she was approached by two women identifying themselves as police officers. They leveled a stunning accusation: Djuikam had stolen the spectacles of Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey.

What followed was a harrowing sequence of events that Djuikam described as a total subversion of legal procedure. She was allegedly taken by motorcycle to a local police station before being transferred to the Yaoundé Central Police Station. Throughout her initial detention, she was denied the right to contact her family or legal counsel. On September 18, when brought before a court, the prosecutor refused to dismiss the case, instead ordering her back into police custody to facilitate "further investigations." Djuikam spent seven nights in a cell, subjected to psychological intimidation, with one officer reportedly telling her that she would "pay" for the theft and questioning her status as a legitimate journalist.

Two days after Djuikam’s initial arrest, the dragnet widened. On September 16, three more journalists were swept up in the investigation: François Essomba, a correspondent for ChinAfrica; Igor Gwet Bibey, publishing director of Inform Plus; and Pierre Mouchili, publishing director of Le Procès International. Like Djuikam, they were held on suspicion of the same absurd theft. Mouchili later recounted to the media outlet Canal 2 that investigators openly accused him of attending the conference solely to "squeeze money out of the minister."

The four journalists were released on Monday, September 21, without a single charge being filed. By then, the truth had emerged: the Minister’s glasses had been located inside his own car, rendering the entire premise of the arrests not only baseless but demonstrably false.

Behind Bars: The Human Cost of Excessive Zeal

The physical conditions endured by the four journalists during their detention have sparked widespread outrage. In interviews with local media, the group described their environment as squalid and dehumanizing. They reported being held in severely overcrowded cells characterized by a lack of running water, perpetually clogged toilets, and infestations of fleas.

For many in the Cameroonian media sector, these conditions are not merely a byproduct of a broken prison system, but a deliberate tactic of intimidation. "François Essomba, Igor Gwet Bibey, Solange Djuikam, and Pierre Mouchili’s experience of arbitrary detention highlights the terrifying reality of being a journalist in Cameroon, where an ordinary day of reporting can turn into a nightmare," said Moussa Ngom, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) Francophone Africa representative.

The psychological toll remains profound. The journalists were not just detained; they were humiliated, their professional credentials were questioned, and they were forced to endure the uncertainty of potential criminal prosecution for a crime that never occurred. Even upon their release, the cloud of suspicion was not entirely lifted, as they were initially told to remain available for further questioning, a directive only later softened by government interventions.

Official Responses and the "Excessive Zeal" Defense

As the scandal gained traction in the press, the government found itself in a difficult position. On September 23, officials from the National Trade Union of Information and Communication Professionals (SPIC) accompanied the four journalists to a high-stakes meeting with government spokesperson René Emmanuel Sadi.

In an interview with the CPJ, Sadi attempted to distance the Ministry of Economy from the actions of the security forces. He characterized the mass arrests as an "unfortunate incident resulting from some security forces officers’ excessive zeal." Sadi insisted that Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey had not personally ordered the arrests and promised that he would clarify the chain of command with the police to ensure appropriate action is taken.

However, the government’s attempt to characterize the event as a rogue operation by over-eager officers has done little to satisfy the media community. When asked about the requirement for the journalists to remain available for future questioning, Sadi offered a degree of assurance, stating, "They did nothing wrong; they will not be prosecuted."

Despite these assurances, the response from law enforcement has been conspicuously silent. The CPJ reached out to the office of national police chief Martin Mbarga Nguelé to demand accountability. While a staff member answered the phone, subsequent written inquiries from the CPJ regarding the identities of the officers responsible for the arrests and the justification for the detention remained unanswered as of this publication.

Implications: A Breaking Point for Press Freedom

The "Lunettegate" affair serves as a flashpoint for long-standing grievances between the Cameroonian state and the press. The response from the media sector was swift and decisive. On Tuesday, the SPIC officially announced a boycott of all coverage involving Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey, citing the "arbitrary arrest and detention of media professionals in the course of their work based on mere suspicion."

This boycott represents more than just a protest against a single minister; it is a manifestation of the collective exhaustion of a press corps that feels increasingly targeted by the state. The case raises critical questions about the rule of law in Cameroon:

1. Lack of Due Process: How could four individuals be detained for nearly a week based on an unverified accusation of petty theft?
2. Impunity: Will the officers who orchestrated the detention face any form of professional or legal discipline, or will they be shielded by the "excessive zeal" narrative?
3. Journalistic Autonomy: To what extent are state officials using the police apparatus to silence or harass media practitioners who are simply performing their roles at public events?

The CPJ has been unequivocal in its demands. "Cameroonian authorities should establish who is responsible for this inexcusable abuse of media professionals, hold them accountable, and ensure that journalists’ rights and dignity are protected while carrying out their work," Ngom stated.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

The "Lunettegate" scandal has turned into a national embarrassment for the Cameroonian government. While the glasses have been recovered and the journalists are free, the incident has left a deep scar on the relationship between the administration and the press.

As the boycott continues, the government faces a choice: continue to hide behind the actions of "zealous" officers or take genuine, transparent steps toward reform. For now, the four journalists are left to recover from their ordeal, while their colleagues continue to demand a guarantee that the next time a Minister misplaces a personal item, it won’t result in a violation of constitutional rights.

In a climate where reporting the news can lead to a cell, the silence of the national police chief speaks volumes. Until there is a clear, public accountability mechanism in place, the Cameroonian media will remain in a state of high alert, viewing every government event not as an opportunity for information, but as a potential site of entrapment. The case of the missing glasses may be closed, but the case for justice for the four journalists has only just begun.