An anti-corruption crackdown in neighbouring Cameroon has led to the arrest of a purportedly fleeing former public official.
Basile Atangana Kouna
A former Cameroonian minister, Basile Atangana Kouna was caught by Interpol on Wednesday night in Nigeria and transported via a plane to Yaoundé in handcuffs.
The former minister of water and energy minister was arrested in Nigeria and flown home on Thursday escorted by police officers - amid a crackdown on high-level corruption.
Basile Atangana Kouna being whisked away
Basile Atangana Kouna was removed from his ministerial position during President Paul Biya’s March 2 cabinet reshuffle. He had already been ordered the previous month not to leave the country.
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.
Three men - 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 earlier this week.