Human rights lawyer Barrister Tamfu Richard, a member of the Cameroon and Nigerian Bar Associations, is set to lead the defense of Miyaou Kome, a Cameroonian man who has spent more than eight years in pre-trial detention while facing terrorism-related charges before the Yaoundé Military Tribunal.
The case, due to resume on July 16, 2026, has become a focal point for concerns over prolonged detention, the presumption of innocence, and the right to a hearing within a reasonable time.
Miyaou Kome, born on June 10, 1996, in Bangourain, Bui Division, trained as a mechanic before relocating to Yaoundé in 2014 in search of work. According to court documents cited by the defense, he was arrested on December 5, 2017, at a joint police and gendarmerie checkpoint in Shangwai, North West Region, while travelling to attend a relative's traditional marriage ceremony.
He was subsequently transferred to the State Defense Secretariat (SED) in Yaoundé, where investigators accused him of participating in attacks allegedly carried out in Jakiri on November 6, 2017, during the Anglophone conflict. The incidents reportedly involved the burning of public buildings and the killing of a gendarme.
Miyaou Kome has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that he was living and working in Yaoundé when the attacks occurred. His lawyers say he has repeatedly stated that he had no connection to the offenses under investigation.
The defense also argues that none of the other suspects arrested in connection with the case identified Miyaou Kome as an accomplice. Instead, Barrister Tamfu Richard contends that the prosecution's case is rooted in mistaken identity, alleging that investigators confused his client with another individual bearing a similar name.
Despite those claims, Miyaou Kome was remanded in custody at Yaoundé Central Prison, Kondengui, on January 26, 2018. His case was later joined with that of seven other defendants before the military tribunal, where proceedings have continued without a final judgment.
Barrister Tamfu Richard says he will ask the court to examine whether there is credible evidence linking his client to the alleged crimes and whether his prolonged detention complies with constitutional and international guarantees of due process.
"The law requires that criminal responsibility be established through evidence, not assumption," the defense argues, insisting that Miyaou Kome should benefit from the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
The case is expected to continue before the vice-president of the Yaoundé Military Tribunal, Yvonne Léopoldine Akoa, on 16 July.
The prosecution has not publicly responded to the defense's claims. The tribunal will determine the outcome of the case after considering the evidence presented by both parties.
For Barrister Tamfu Richard, the proceedings extend beyond the fate of a single defendant. He argues that the case raises broader questions about access to justice, lengthy pre-trial detention, and the effective protection of fundamental rights within Cameroon’s criminal justice system.
@Laarry Times
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