POLITICS | From Cameroon to Cape Verde: Fabrice Lena’s Account After His Escape from Douala Prison

DOUALA / PRAIA — Detained on 5 November at the New Bell Central Prison in Douala, Cameroonian opposition activist Fabrice Lena has escaped custody and is now in exile in Cape Verde. Accused of “forgery and use of forged public and authentic documents,” the 31-year-old denies the charges and maintains that his detention was politically motivated.

According to an escape notice issued on 16 December by Charles Philippe Nguiamba, Principal Administrator of Cameroon’s prisons, Lena is described in precise physical terms, and members of the public are instructed to return him to Douala prison should he be identified. Authorities confirm he escaped on 12 December.

Lena, however, is not in hiding. Speaking openly, he says he left Cameroon after realizing that his case had shifted from a judicial matter to a political one.

“I was abducted, not arrested”

Founder of the civic movement Na Wa Future, Fabrice Lena was a prominent campaign figure during the 12 October presidential election. He served as campaign director for anglophone candidate Seta Caxton Ateki before later publicly declaring support for opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

Lena rejects the term “arrest” outright.

“I was never arrested. I was abducted, kidnapped. There was no warrant, no summons, no official notification.”

He recounts being stopped in the Bastos neighborhood of Yaoundé by men in civilian clothes who identified themselves as police officers. When he asked why he was being taken, he says he was told he was being “secured” at a police station.

Convinced his detention was linked to his political activities, Lena points to his role in supervising vote tallying in Yaoundé VI as a key factor.

A contested case and unexplained charges

After being taken to the judicial police, Lena was transferred overnight to Douala. There, investigators presented him with two birth certificates dated January 2025, listing him as the father of two children he claims not to know and whose documents he insists he never signed.

“Even the investigator wrote clearly in the file that there was no proof that I was behind these documents,” he says.

Lena further alleges that authorities initially claimed the case originated from a complaint by the French consulate — a claim he disputes, stating that no such complaint was ever filed and that the Ministry of Justice instead initiated the case on its own.

Detention at New Bell and alleged extortion

Transferred to New Bell Central Prison, Lena describes weeks of harsh detention. He claims he was compelled to pay 1.5 million CFA francs (approximately €2,287) to obtain temporary exit permits and slightly improved conditions.

He says he was briefly allowed out before being ordered back to prison, allegedly because an ambassador from the European Union was scheduled to visit.

“After the ambassador’s visit, everything changed. All arrangements were canceled. I was told I would no longer benefit from any privileges.”

Lena adds that when he asked about the money he had paid, he received no response. He also expresses deep disappointment with what he describes as a lack of support from his own lawyer.

Escape and exile

At that point, Lena says he understood that his fate was sealed.

“I realized I was considered dangerous because of my political engagement. My case was no longer judicial. I knew I wouldn’t be released anytime soon.”

He decided to evade prison guards and successfully escaped. After remaining in Cameroon for several days, he left the country.

“When the escape notice was issued on 16 December, I was already preparing to leave, but I was still trying to recover the money that had been extorted from me.”

Now in Cape Verde, Lena says exile was his only remaining option.

“I had no choice. I left.”

A familiar pattern

His situation mirrors that of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, whom Lena had supported after the presidential election. Tchiroma also fled the country in late October, later settling temporarily in The Gambia, after escaping heavy surveillance in Garoua.

Once again, Cameroon’s post-election landscape is marked by arrests, escapes, and political exile — a pattern that continues to raise questions about the country’s rule of law and the space allowed for opposition voices.