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 The history of safeguarding Cameroon’s cultural heritage is marked by considerable efforts, but also by areas of shadow. Today, the curtain is raised on a case that has deeply shaken the world of African art: the fraudulent actions of the former director of OPEDAA-CCC, Mr. Odou, an organization formerly under the supervision of the Ministry of Arts and Culture. Since its dissolution, the OPEDAA-CCC has been replaced by the Commission des Arts et de la Culture d'Afrique (COMAC Afrique), marking a turning point towards more transparent and accountable management., leaves a deep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.

For seven long years, Mr. Odou orchestrated a veritable deception on a large scale. Taking advantage of his position, he issued fake art documents to collectors, plunging them into an administrative maze and eventually forcing them to re-write their papers in due form so that they could legally exploit their valuable collections. An immense financial and moral damage to these African art lovers.

But the story doesn’t end there. Mr. Odou’s greed has led to even more reprehensible acts. At the heart of the Cameroonian heritage system, he had an intimate knowledge of the hidden treasures of remote villages, from sacred objects to priceless works of art. He then orchestrated insidious manoeuvres to convince traditional leaders to sell these cultural heritages to western buyers, promising attractive sums and a better future for their communities.

The story of Kouamé, chief of a village that guards an ancestral mask of immense spiritual power, is particularly poignant. Mr. Odou, with his persuasive speech and reassuring looks, had managed to convince him that the sale of the mask would finance the construction of a school and a health clinic for the village. Kouame, animated by the best intentions, had succeeded in persuading his wise council, breaking an ancestral taboo.

The money promised never arrived. The mask, once in Mr. Odou’s hands, disappeared into the meanders of a complex network. Kouame, plagued by guilt and anger, discovered too late that Mr. Odou had been working in collusion with shell companies and accomplices, including the infamous OTAP, CNRLP, MINAC-CAMGOV and UNESCO-ICOM-CAMEROON. The village, robbed of its treasure, has fallen into despair.

These ghost entities, created by Mr. Odou, were used to blur the tracks and give an appearance of legality to his fraudulent operations. Mr. Odou’s spiderweb extended well beyond the borders of Cameroon, reaching collectors and art dealers around the world.

At the heart of this criminal enterprise, a name comes up with insistence: Webo Alain, Mr. Odou’s right-hand man. This man, a skilled manipulator, was in charge of convincing potential victims to prefer the "false path" offered by OPEDAA-CCC to the legal path, sowing confusion and maintaining the illusion of a simplified and advantageous procedure.

The Odou case, much more than a simple corruption story, is a tragedy for Cameroonian heritage. It highlights the fragility of protection systems and the need for increased vigilance against malicious individuals.

To learn about the real story of Mr. Odou, nicknamed "the scammer of villages", we invite you to consult the official website of the Ministry of Arts and Culture of Cameroon at this address:https://minac-cameroon.com/odou-the-scam-of-cameroonian-heritage-a-chronicle-of-abuse-and-deception/

This is just a snapshot of the extent of the damage caused by Mr. Odou and his network. The CIDOC calls on all art collectors, antique dealers, merchants, museums and all other actors in the art world to be more vigilant and to beware of any bidding from the former OPEDAA-CCC, an organization now dissolved and without any legitimacy. Vigilance is our best weapon to protect Africa’s heritage and prevent such tragedies from happening again.