Odou: The Scam of Cameroonian Heritage – A Chronicle of Abuse and Deception

The rise and fall of Mr. Odou, former Director of OPEDAA-CCC, is a grim illustration of the vulnerability of African cultural heritage to greed and corruption. His story, punctuated by manipulations, false hopes and betrayals, leaves a deep scar on the world of art in Cameroon. The OPEDAA-CCC, once supposed to protect and value heritage, has become under his direction an instrument of looting and fraud on a large scale.

1. Fake Art Papers: An Industry of Deception

The story of Madame Dubois, a French collector with a passion for African art, is emblematic. After buying several items from local merchants, she turned to OPEDAA-CCC to regularize her situation. Mr. Odou then asked him for a considerable sum to prepare the documents, ensuring a fast and uncomplicated procedure. A few years later, when she tried to sell some of her collection, she found out that the documents were forged and that her investment was lost.

2. Stolen Sales: The Art of Lying and Betrayal

Mr. Odou’s cynicism knew no bounds. Not content with forging papers, he also engaged in the illegal trade of stolen works of art, deceiving both legitimate owners and Western buyers. At the heart of the system, a network of accomplices and shell companies, allowing it to discreetly sell the looted objects.

The story of former teacher Mr. Njoya is heartbreaking. Mr. Njoya inherited a collection of traditional musical instruments of inestimable cultural value from his grandfather. Approached by an intermediary of Mr. Odou, he was offered an attractive sum for the sale of the collection, with the promise that the instruments would be exhibited in a large museum. Mr. Njoya naively agreed. He later discovered with astonishment that the instruments had been sold to a private collector abroad, and that the promised money had never reached him in full.

3. The Pillage of Villages: The Destruction of Local Heritage

Mr. Odou’s position within the administration offered him an undeniable advantage: an in-depth knowledge of the cultural heritage scattered across the most remote villages of Cameroon. He used this information to target the most vulnerable communities and persuade them to sell their treasures, often exploiting their poverty and lack of education.

The case of the village of Bakou is particularly revealing. This village, guardian of an ancestral statuette believed to ensure the prosperity of the community, was facing major economic difficulties. Mr. Odou, accompanied by his loyal right-hand man Webo Alain, went to the village and delivered a demagogic speech, promising the residents a bright future if they agreed to part with the statuette. He dangled the prospect of building a school, a hospital, and a paved road. Seduced by these promises, the villagers gave in to the pressure and handed over the statuette to Mr. Odou. Of course, none of the promised projects ever materialized.

4. The Screen Entities: A Maze of Lies and Illusions

To give an appearance of legitimacy to his fraudulent activities, Mr. Odou had created an entire ecosystem of shell entities, such as OTAP, CNRLP, MINAC-CAMGOV, and UNESCO-ICOM-CAMEROUN. These structures, devoid of any legal existence, were used to deceive collectors and obscure the trail in the event of an investigation. Webo Alain, a true master of manipulation, played a key role in this scheme by reassuring victims and directing them toward these phantom « services. »

The scheme involved convincing collectors that these entities were official partners of OPEDAA-CCC and that they were essential for the realization of their projects. In reality, they were mere facades designed to extract money from the victims and keep them unaware of the truth.

5. The Mandah Collection Affair: The Too-Much Blow to Unmask the Scammer.

The Mandah affair will remain in the annals as the breaking point, the ultimate transgression that exposed Mr. Odou’s actions. Aware of the priceless value of these ten sculptures and two monoliths, both artistically and spiritually, Mr. Odou deployed all his persuasive capacity to convince the chief of Mandah village to sell them at a « phenomenal » price.

To allay the chief’s fears and gain his confidence, Mr. Odou, cunning as a fox, even advised him to keep the two monoliths along with the original documents from the collection. His plan was simple: produce false documents, sell the collection to a foreign buyer, and then deny any involvement in case of problems. All he needed was the permission to hold the traditional ceremony for the village collection, and a 25 million CFA franc advance. The chief, attracted by the promise of a colossal sum for his community, accepted.

Once the collection was in his possession, Mr. Odou, acting now outside the official framework of OPEDAA-CCC, orchestrated his departure from the country in all discretion. To avoid government taxes and cover his tracks, he declared the works as simple handicrafts.

However, the time of false promises and complicit silences was coming to an end. The chief of Mandah, sensing the deception, began to ask insistent questions to Mr. Odou, who hastened to bribe the deputy chief, offering him a sum of money to present himself in his place with the buyer. But the truth eventually came out. The chief, outraged, filed a complaint against Mr. Odou for breach of trust and fraud, as well as his deputy for complicity.

Today, the real chief still holds the authentic documents of the collection and the two monoliths, which Mr. Odou had asked him to keep as a « guarantee ». These monoliths, it is important to emphasize, are an integral part of the Mandah collection. Mr. Odou has pocketed his money, leaving the village of Mandah in disarray and misery.

In the height of his cynicism, Mr. Odou is currently blackmailing the chief, demanding that certain documents be returned in exchange for payment of the agreed sum for the purchase of the collection.

An investigation will be opened by the Ministry of Arts and Culture of Cameroon to ensure that justice is done, that Mr. Odou is held accountable for his actions, and that the village of Mandah receives the compensation due to it.

To consult the MINAC’s List of Victims of Mr. Odou, please follow this link: https://minac-cameroon.com/list-of-victims-of-mr-odou-the-former-director-of-opedaa-ccc/

Mr. Odou’s story is a bitter lesson about the dangers of corruption and greed. It underlines the need for constant vigilance and international cooperation to protect Africa’s cultural heritage and prevent predators from plundering the wealth of the most vulnerable communities. Justice, we hope, will eventually triumph.