French Cameroun: 9 detained including traditional ruler in Penka-Michel lynching investigation ⁰

The investigation into the lynching of Steve Diffo and his alleged accomplice took a major turn on June 19 when West Region Governor Awa Fonka Augustine ordered the administrative detention of nine individuals, including Charly Constant Noussi Pokam, the traditional chief of the Baloum chiefdom in the Penka-Michel subdivision.

According to the official order, the chief and the eight other suspects are believed to have been involved as perpetrators, co-perpetrators or accomplices in the killings of Steve Diffo and Bostel Kamta, who was identified as his alleged associate.

The two men were accused of stealing roofing sheets before being lynched and burned alive on June 5 in the Baloum chiefdom, along with other alleged accomplices who remain at large, according to authorities. The suspects are now being questioned as part of an investigation led by the West Regional Gendarmerie. The administrative detention order is valid for 15 days and may be renewed if necessary. The suspects are being held at Bafoussam Central Prison while the judicial investigation continues.

A Major Development in a Highly Sensitive Case

The latest development is being closely watched because of the influence traditional chiefdoms continue to hold in Cameroon’s West Region. Beyond their customary functions, they retain considerable social, land-related and symbolic authority within local communities.

In the days following the killings, several observers and human rights advocates expressed concern that this influence could complicate efforts to establish responsibility. Reports alleging that pressure had been placed on the victim’s family to support a version of events more favorable to some of those involved further fueled those concerns.

Against that backdrop, the detention of the Baloum traditional chief is widely viewed as a strong signal that authorities intend to pursue the investigation regardless of local power structures.

A Case That Has Shocked the Nation

The case sparked widespread outrage after a video of Steve Diffo’s killing circulated on social media. The footage shows a young man with his hands tied behind his back and his feet bound, surrounded by a hostile crowd. Accused of theft, he repeatedly proclaimed his innocence and pleaded for his parents to be called. His appeals went unanswered.

According to information released by authorities, he was later placed inside a stack of used tires, doused with fuel and burned alive. A second man is reported to have died under similar circumstances. The video triggered national outrage and renewed debate over mob justice and the impunity that perpetrators of such acts sometimes enjoy in certain communities.

Questions Surround the Role of the Traditional Chief

Since the first details emerged, the Baloum traditional chief has been among the individuals most directly implicated in the case.

Some people who viewed the video claim they recognized his voice in footage shared online. Several witnesses allege that he can be heard speaking to Steve Diffo shortly before the killing. According to those accounts, he told the victim to say his final prayer. Those allegations are disputed by some members of his entourage and by certain local residents, who maintain that the chief was not present during the killing or that the events took place outside the royal compound.

The victim’s family rejects that version of events. Steve Diffo’s mother has stated that she was pressured by certain local notables to clear the traditional ruler of any responsibility. Even before the governor’s decision, the gendarmerie had already issued a warrant ordering the chief to appear before investigators. The document cited his alleged involvement in two homicides.

An Investigation Under Intense Scrutiny

With the administrative detention of the Baloum chief and eight other suspects, authorities have entered a new phase in a case that has become politically and socially explosive. Investigators must now determine the individual responsibility of each suspect, identify other participants who remain at large and establish the precise role played by those currently in custody.

Beyond the crime itself, the Penka-Michel case has become a test of the state’s ability to carry out a full investigation involving influential local figures in a region where traditional authorities continue to wield considerable power. That is why the latest developments are being closely watched far beyond the village of Baloum.

Source: Sbbc