Ekane Family Says “He Was Killed” as Issa Tchiroma Moves to Sue Paul Biya

The family of Anicet Ekane has flatly rejected claims of a natural death, accusing the Cameroonian state of assassination. As post-election tensions persist, opposition figure Issa Tchiroma Bakary has announced plans to pursue legal action against President Paul Biya over the violent repression that followed the October 2025 presidential election.

The Accusation

The children of Anicet Ekane are unequivocal.
“He was killed. He was assassinated,” they say, dismissing any attempt to depoliticize their father’s death.

Their statement comes amid growing scrutiny of state violence following Cameroon’s disputed presidential election of 12 October 2025, whose official results declared Paul Biya the winner.

Legal Action Targeting the Presidency

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, opposition candidate and now living in exile, has announced an imminent judicial action against Paul Biya. According to his legal team based in France, a press conference is underway to outline the legal pathways being considered.

The case is expected to focus on alleged orders issued to security forces during the dispersal of post-election demonstrations — operations that, according to lawyers and rights groups, resulted in civilian deaths.

International Courts in Focus

Tchiroma’s lawyers say domestic remedies offer no credible path to justice, raising the prospect of international legal action. They point to warnings issued by multiple human-rights organizations documenting excessive use of force, including lethal force, against unarmed civilians.

The strategy, they argue, is to establish responsibility not only at the operational level, but along the chain of command.

Anicet Ekane Among Dozens of Deaths

Anicet Ekane’s death is listed among approximately sixty post-election fatalities compiled by the legal collective. For the Ekane family, this was not an accident nor collateral damage, but part of a broader campaign of repression against dissenting voices.

In Paris, supporters of Issa Tchiroma Bakary have continued to mobilize two months after the election, rejecting the proclaimed results and demanding international recognition of their candidate.

A Country Under Strain

Since the announcement of the election results, Cameroon has remained tense. Protests, arrests, and heavy security deployments have defined the post-electoral period, despite repeated calls from the international community for restraint.

From Outrage to Accountability

For Issa Tchiroma Bakary and his legal team, the objective is explicit:
to document deaths, establish responsibility at the highest levels of power, and pursue accountability before international judicial bodies.

Beyond one family and one opposition figure, the case raises a larger question — whether state violence in Cameroon will continue to go unanswered, or finally face legal consequence.