Roland Ewane, the subdivisional officer for Idabato, a commune in Cameroon’s Southwest region, has been released after being kidnapped in October 2024.

Ewane was recovered by a Cameroonian army patrol near the Nigerian border on the evening of March 17. The circumstances of his release remain undisclosed. He was taken to the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) camp in Jabane, near Idabato, where he received a medical examination. Doctors reported he was in good health, despite significant weight loss and slightly elevated blood pressure attributed to stress.

Authorities believe Ewane was kidnapped from his home by a pirate network led by a warlord known as “Pa’a Wata” (father of the water). The pirates, who reportedly operate in Nigeria, from a swampy area near the Cameroonian locality of Kombo-Abedimo, are suspected of engaging in kidnapping for ransom. This information has not been officially confirmed.

During a parliamentary session in November, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said the government was concerned about Ewane’s fate and was working to secure his release, citing cooperation between Cameroonian and Nigerian law enforcement agencies. It is unclear if this cooperation contributed to Ewane’s release.

Ewane is expected to be reunited with his family today under heavy military escort.

Source: Sbbc