The Littoral SDF Chairman, Hon. Jean- Michel Nintcheu, was Wednesday, March 5, arrested and interrogated for five hours at the Bonanjo Gendarmerie Brigade in connection with the recent strike.

Hon. Nintcheu, who had reportedly visited Littoral Governor, Francis Fai Yengo, and Wouri SDO, Bernard Atedebe, on that day, told The Post that he was driving back to central town when a gendarmerie squad blocked the road at the Jos flyover and stopped him.

Nintcheu said the gendarmes announced that he was under arrest. According to him, he learned that their boss, Colonel Meka Meka, had asked that he be brought to the brigade located below the Presidency at Bonanjo.

The Littoral SDF boss said one of the gendarmes handcuffed him even though he did not resist arrest, apart from the fact that he needed clarification, especially as there was no warrant of arrest.

The MP said the commander of the squad immediately ordered the gendarme to remove the handcuff.Nintcheu said he was led to the brigade where he was grilled for five hours, from 4 pm to 9 pm. He said they questioned him on his disobeying the Governor's order banning public manifestations in the Littoral, by calling for a public demonstration at Madagascar Quarter on February 23.

The MP said he argued that the Governor's ban was a gross injustice to the opposition, who were being blocked from democratically expressing their views on the planned constitutional change by the CPDM government.

He said he recalled to the gendarmes that the CPDM militants had earlier held a series of demonstrations to call on President Paul Biya to carry out the constitutional amendment.

Nintcheu said the gendarmes tried to connect the public demonstration by SDF which he called at Madagascar on February 23 and the bloody incident which occurred at Carrefour Bilongé later that evening, as well as the demonstrations and violence, which occurred in Douala form February 25-28.

Concerning rumours that his parliamentary immunity might be lifted for him to face charges connected with the recent violence in Douala, he said he is sure that government knows that he is innocent, but that some people in the regime want to use some opposition figures, including himself, as scapegoats for what recently happened in the country.

SDF Suspends Demonstrations

In an interview granted The Post in Douala on March 7, Nintcheu revealed that the Littoral Executive Bureau of the SDF has suspended demonstrations against the proposed constitutional amendment.

He explained that the decision to suspend the demonstration become necessary, considering the recent upheavals that rocked many parts of the province, occasioning deaths and destruction of property.

He said the situation makes it unwise to embark on any public demonstration, especially as the Littoral Governor, Francis Yengo Fai, is yet to lift the ban on public demonstrations.

Nintcheu explained that the main reason he went to see the Governor was to request him to order the police to return his passport, which was seized at the Douala International Airport on March 2, when he was about to travel to France.

According to Nintcheu, the Governor asked him to take up the matter with the service that seized his passport.