Negotiation for just released cleric hostage is a state secret - Comm. Minister

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister of Communication, who was among the delegation that received the three freed foreign clerics from Boko Haram captivity, speaking to the press, refused to explain the circumstances and the nature of the negotiations that led to their release, quipping instead that it’s a state secret.

The minister made the observation at a press briefing he put together on Saturday June 7, to clarify how President Biya came about a recent award by the Pan African Lawyers Union, PALU. The award was handed to him by former South African President, Thabo Becki, who was part of a ten man delegation led by the union’s president, Barrister Akere Muna.

Tchiroma explained that the award was given to the president on account of his peaceful resolution of the Bakassi conflict with Nigeria, and also because of Biya’s efforts at protecting foreigners on Cameroon territory.

But the award briefing soon turned into other issues such as the recent release of the clerics. Reporters demanded to know whether gov’t had paid a ransom to regain the freedom of the missionaries and also why gov’t won’t state that they were kidnapped by and recovered from Boko Haram.

Reporters also sought to know why hostages would be freely handed over to the government by the terror group barely a day after the same government’s armed forces had slaughtered 40 of their militants.

Tchiroma dodged the questions and rather suggested that inhabitants in the Northern regions who are under threats of terrorism are instead concerned with securing their territory.

“They are not interested in how much was paid for the release of the hostages or who kidnapped the clerics, neither do they want to know how the negotiations were carried out.” He said.

Taking on Le Messager daily newspaper’s reporter who insisted that the Boko Haram Cameroonians know, would not free hostages without getting paid a ransom, Tchiroma, said he should leave polemics aside, because even if he had information about the release of the hostages, he would not tell any journalist.

“I know you are just trying to tease the minister” he said, adding that everybody should be providing moral support to the troops deployed to the country’s frontier with Nigeria to counter possible Boko Haram attacks.

Most Cameroonians, however, believe a ransom was paid to the kidnappers. Two contractors told our reporter last week that the treasury in Bamenda and Yaounde are empty and they (contractors) are not being paid because “the treasuries were emptied to settle Boko Haram.” We cannot, however, independently confirm the allegation.