Court kicks out Anicet Ekane’s widow from his funeral.

The ruling was passed Monday, April 13. Passing its verdict on the battle between the widow and Ekane’s sons from his previous marriage, over who is supposed to organisse the funeral, the court is said to have given the right to the sons. 

The ruling is said to have indicated that the corpse should not be handed to the widow of the deceased politician. Monday’s ruling was the outcome of a legal battle that erupted on March 23. 

Then, the sons of the deceased seized the Douala Court of First Instance, seeking clarification over the organisation of the politician’s funeral.

Ekane’s three children viz; Mukate Sankara Ekane, Elombo Bomono Ekane and Dr Muna Ekane are said to be those who seized the court. 

They are said in their suit accused the widow of their father of unilaterally acting without consulting the family regarding the funeral arrangements.

They are also said to have prayed the court to set a funeral date and appoint an administrator for the funeral of the deceased to ensure everyone’s right is respected. 

On other issues, the children are also said to have argued that they only learnt of the release of their father’s corpse after official investigations and its transportation to a mortuary in Douala on social media.

But for handing the corpse to the complainants and kicking out the widow, the court is said to have been silent on other prayers of the plaintiffs. The matter had suffered three adjournments before Monday’s ruling.

Meanwhile, in a statement on April 8, MANIDEM National Communication Secretary, Charles Ngah Nforgang, had indicated that since the corpse was handed to Ekane’s widow, funeral arrangements had suffered several disruptions.

Ngah had indicated that, Ekane’s widow had programmed the funeralfor April 23, 24 and 25. He disclosed that three of the deceased’s 11 brothers and sisters still alive had engaged actions to eject MANIDEM from its secretariat where it had operated for decades.

The MANIDEM communication scribe indicated that the party was going to seek legal redress in the battle to eject it from its secretariat. 

He also said the party was going to do everything within its power to ensure the politician gets a befitting burial.

To note that Ekane died on December 1, 2025 under unclear circumstances in detention in Yaounde. He had been arrested in the face of post-election tensions following the October 12, 2025 presidential election.

Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni still in detention had issued a release under the banner of the Union for Change platform, declaring Issa Tchiroma Bakary, candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, FSNC, winner of the election.

In the face of outrage following Ekane’s death which critics had blamed on negligence while he was in detention, government announced and investigation. On February 24 this year, the Ministry of Defense issued a statement stating that Ekene died naturally.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3762 of Thursday April 16, 2026