A Catholic Bishop has reportedly committed suicide in the Sanga River located around the Ebebda Bridge in Cameroon.
The Archbishop of Bafia, Cameroon, Mgr Jean Marie Benoît Balla was reported to have left a suicide note in his car along with his ID card, driving license and car documents.
A search has however been launched for the recovery of the cleric’s body after the Bishop’s land cruiser jeep with registration plate number CE 9503V was found on the Ebebda bridge about 90km from Yaounde.
Journalducameroun.com reported that the handwritten suicide note simply read “Je suis dans l’eau”, translated into English as “I am in the water”.
The Governor of the Centre region, Naseri Paul Bea, the Divisional Officer of the locality and other administrative authorities were reported to have rushed to the bridge as soon as the news broke.
The Divisional Officer, D.O, of Ebebda while speaking to newsmen said: “I immediately ran to the scene and saw for myself. The car is truly here on the bridge and the note the Bishop left suggests he jumped into the river.”
Speaking on the incident which was reported to have occured at around 1pm, the DO further added that there was no damage whatsoever to the car, an indication which rules out the possibility of violence.
“His collaborators told us he left the diocese yesterday at about 11:30pm but no one knew where he was going to. But from the direction his car is facing, one can conclude he was going to Yaounde.”
