Giovanni Francesco Porzio an alleged Italian journalist was arrested in the company of three Cameroonians with a detailed map of strategic points of the Cameroonian and Nigerian Army at the war front.

Giovanni Francesco Porzio, who presented himself as an official of the UNHCR spent nearly three hours with the refugees in the Minawao camp. Minawao, Giovanni Francesco Porzio and his companions as well as a driver that he had recruited in Maroua set sail towards Mabass in the Mayo Tsanaga where the Cameroonian army is at the front. The colour of his skin quickly attracted the attention of the intelligence of the town of Mokolo.

During interrogations with the Commissioner of the special Commissioner of Mokolo, Giovanni Francesco Porzio said he was an Italian journalist, but the latter who came to visit the refugee camp had no accreditation and he was about to go where the troops had taken up positions.

Upon further scrutiny, the passport of Francesco, indicated his profession as "a volunteer". A search of the Italian police helped elements of the special Commissioner to discover a map showing the strategic positions of Cameroonian and Nigerian armed forces.

This map and the inconsistencies in the words of the Italian forced the police to drive him to Maroua where an inquiry was opened. Pressure from the Italy Embassy in Cameroon as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, forced the police to release Porzio Giovanni Francesco without finding out the "real" reasons for his visit.