The Editor of Cameroon News Agency, Hansel Ngala, declared missing since Wednesday, has re-established contact with colleagues after confirming he was robbed upon arrival in Kribi, South Region.
Ngala reached out early this Saturday, November 22, 2025, through Facebook Messenger using an alternate account. He contacted CNA’s Executive Editor, Nfor Hanson Nchanji, during a brief video call placed via a friend’s Facebook profile.
He explained he was attacked by thieves at the entrance to Hevecam while travelling to the locality.
Ngala said the attackers took everything he had, including his phones, laptop and money.
He told colleagues he received help from a Good Samaritan on a motorbike who assisted him in completing his journey. He plans to recover his SIM card once he returns home. He also expressed gratitude to everyone who raised concerns during the period he was unreachable.
The contact confirms that Ngala indeed arrived in Cameroon on November 9, a detail friends had earlier verified from his boarding pass during a visit to his residence.
His disappearance triggered widespread concern after CNA’s newsroom noticed an abrupt halt in communication on November 20. CNA had issued a public alert earlier today, noting that Ngala stopped responding to messages and calls shortly after returning from South Africa, where he attended the 21st African Investigative Journalism Conference at the University of the Witwatersrand.
The newsroom, his family, and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) launched coordinated efforts to trace him after receiving troubling information about his situation upon his arrival at Nsimalen International Airport. Ngala had been interrogated for about an hour upon landing, a detail CNA said it withheld from the public to avoid compromising investigations.
With his reappearance, immediate fears for his safety have eased, though colleagues say more clarity is still needed regarding his movements between November 9 and the robbery incident.
CNA has thanked the public, civil society and media partners who assisted during the search.
By Lucas Muma
