In January 2023, Zogo was abducted, tortured and assassinated; over twenty members of Cameroon's intelligence service, the Direction générale de la recherche extérieure, have subsequently been arrested for his death, in addition to Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, a Cameroonian media magnate.
[9][10] Zogo and Embouteillage were frequently suspended by the Conseil national de la communication (CNC), Cameroon's media regulatory body, due to comments made on the programme.
[15] On 1 July 2019 Zogo, alongside 21 other journalists and media outlets, were sanctioned by the CNC for "unfounded accusations" made against Gervais Bolenga.
[18] On 17 January 2020, Zogo was arrested at the studios of Amplitude FM and charged with defamation following a complaint made by Sylvie Biye Essono, the wife of cabinet minister Samuel Mvondo Ayolo.
[36][37] René Sadi subsequently issued a statement reporting that the government was following the case with interest and would push for an investigation into the circumstances of Zogo's death.
[38][39] Cameroonian journalist Chantal Roger Tuile reported that Zogo had been sexually assaulted, and that his genitalia, fingers, and teeth had been mutilated prior to his death.
[42] On 6 February 2023, further arrests were made in Yaoundé, including businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, journalist Bruno Bidjang, and former colonel Thomas Etoundsi Nsoe.
Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, the executive of the DGRE, alleged the operation targeting Zogo had been carried out on Belinga's behalf.
[44][45] At a military court hearing on 14 February 2023, Belinga was not formally charged after the tribunal ordered an additional investigation to take place to establish criminal responsibilities pertaining to Zogo's assassination.
[48] Diane Zogo has stated she will not permit her husband's body to be buried until the government releases the findings of its investigations into his death.
[50]UNESCO’s mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image” includes the protection of journalists and media workers against any forms of attacks and reprisals related to their duties.
The two civil parties, namely that of the Zogo family, are rejected, two requests, that of removing the seal from the body for burial purposes and that of transmitting the investigation file to the defense lawyers.