Twenty-four hours after being stripped of her title as Miss Cameroon 2025, Josiane Golonga was arrested and taken to the police station. Her "crime"? Having presented herself at the headquarters of the Miss Cameroon Organizing Committee (COMICA) with a bailiff to recover her personal belongings and return the attributes of her position.
However, according to concurring sources, a very different scene awaited her there. Insults and brutality allegedly preceded the intervention of the police, alerted by Ingrid Amougou, an influential figure in COMICA.
The events took place at COMICA headquarters. Josiane Golonga, who came to collect her belongings and return the symbols of her title, was accompanied by a bailiff. But Ingrid Amougou was waiting for her. Witnesses report that the miss was immediately accosted, insulted and molested, before being taken to the Messamendongo or Odza police station, according to sources. This uncertainty about the place of detention underlines the confused nature of the procedure.
Josiane Golonga has been in police custody for 24 hours, without notification of a specific offense. The initial accusation of car key theft proved unfounded. More seriously, her hearing is taking place without the presence of her lawyer, and without official information on the reasons for her arrest. These breaches of fundamental rights are denounced, both under Cameroonian and international law.
Ingrid Amougou, founder and president of COMICA since 2002, is singled out for having used public force in a private dispute. This case highlights the gap between theoretical defense rights and the reality on the ground. The arrest is described as arbitrary, in the absence of flagrante delicto, a visible prior complaint and a rogatory commission.
This affair sheds a harsh light on the Miss Cameroon competition. Josiane Golonga's image is tarnished, and the Miss Cameroon institution is weakened. Observers are wondering about the impact of this event on the future participation of quality candidates.
The question of the independence of the police is also raised. Did she act on orders, or after checking the facts? The silence surrounding this case raises questions: will Ingrid Amougou and COMICA be held accountable for this abuse of power? Or will Josiane Golonga have to bear the consequences of this arrest, deemed illegal, alone?
The Miss Cameroon Organizing Committee (COMICA) announced the dismissal of Josiane Golonga on February 25, 2026, citing unjustified absences and disrespectful remarks.
