Shocking trial footage in Martinez Zogo murder case

Key hearings in the trial surrounding the murder of journalist Martinez Zogo took place on June 1 and 2, 2026, at the Yaoundé Military Tribunal. These sessions proved pivotal as digital evidence from a forensic report by cybersecurity expert Professor Georges Bell Bitjoka, the 32nd witness for the prosecution, was presented.

The professor’s role involved examining the digital devices and online accounts of the defendants. His analysis led to the discovery of the torture and murder video of Martinez Zogo, which was found in the cloud storage of one of the accused. When three of these harrowing videos were shown in court on June 1, the session had to be paused shortly after due to the overwhelming emotional impact on the attendees.

The footage and images revealed the journalist’s abduction, brutal torture, and eventual murder. Martinez Zogo is seen bound, bloodied, with a partially severed left ear, desperately pleading for help from his captors.

During his testimony, Professor Georges Bell Bitjoka stated, “These files were officially extracted from the Google Cloud account of Marshal Godje Oumarou Vincent, a former agent at the Directorate General of External Research (DGRE), who remains at large.”

The expert’s report also uncovered extensive communications linking Justin Danwe, former Director of Operations at the DGRE, to the execution of the operation. Financial connections were also exposed, including a transaction of 35 million Central African CFA francs discussed in court.

Regarding Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, former head of the DGRE, and businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, the professor noted that while no direct technological link had yet been formally established in their devices, 30% and 18% of relevant data had been identified respectively. Many of their conversations with Danwe had been deliberately deleted.

The proceedings resumed on June 2, 2026, under a tense atmosphere still reeling from the previous day’s revelations. The entire session focused on the cross-examination of Professor Georges Bell Bitjoka by both the prosecution and the defense teams.

In response to challenges from the defense, the expert emphasized that his analysis was strictly technical, confined to the digital evidence provided. He refrained from offering personal opinions or legal judgments. While the lawyers representing Martinez Zogo’s family raised concerns about the methodology and completeness of the data extraction, they acknowledged the significant breakthroughs this report represents.

The Military Tribunal of Yaoundé adjourned late into the night of June 2. The next set of hearings, dedicated to deeper examination of the case, has been scheduled for June 22 and 23, 2026.