Nigeria sends ‘deports’ ex-Cameroonian water minister

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Mr. Basile Kouna, Cameroon’s former water and energy minister, was arrested in Nigeria and flown home on Thursday.

Kouna was removed from his ministerial position during President Paul Biya’s March 2, cabinet reshuffle.

In February, he was ordered not to leave the country.

“Kouna is in Cameroon. He was arrested in Nigeria and sent back to Cameroon.

“He arrived this evening,” one police source, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the press, told Reuters.

Vision 4, a private television channel considered allied to Biya, reported that the former minister arrived at the international airport in the capital, Yaounde at 6:20 pm (1720 GMT) escorted by police officers.

Another channel, Canal 2 International, also reported his arrest in Nigeria and subsequent extradition back to Cameroon.

Cameroon’s government spokesman was not immediately reachable for comment. Neither were officials in neighbouring Nigeria.

It was not clear what charges Atangana Kouna was facing, but there was speculation on Thursday that he was arrested as part of an anti-corruption drive known as Operation Sparrowhawk.

A former Ministry of Public Works official, the head of a state company, and the ex-rector of the University of Douala, were arrested as part of the operation on Monday.

 

Biya has ruled virtually by decree since taking over from a retiring predecessor in 1982 and then winning an election with 99.98 per cent of the vote a year later.

Now 85, Biya is expected to again seek re-election in presidential polls later in the year, but he is currently facing some of the biggest challenges to his 35-year rule.


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