Nigerian Journalist Gagged In Cameroon, Sign a petition To Set Him Free Now

Our dear friend, Simon Ateba, who is a journalist of high repute, visited Cameroon to cover the situation of more than 50,000 Nigerians currently being camped as refugees due to the raving insurgency of the Boko Haram terrorist groups; but unfortunately was arrested by the Cameroonian authority who accused him of spying for boko haram.  

Simon is a friend i have kept contact with over the years, following each other's activity. Apparently, he had tagged me in some messages that he was heading down Cameroon to investigate the boko haram refugee situation involving over 50,000 Nigerians. He before then received a grant from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, Abuja, to investigate the ordeals and sufferings of these Nigerians who fled into Cameroon as their communities were taking over by an extremist Boko Haram sect.  

 Simon who was incarcerated on Friday, manage to send me some photos which i really couldn't put together because of how dark they looked, but further investigation revealed, they are photos of him in a dark cell where he is being kept for 3 nights now.  when i visited his facebook page, some his messages read; 

 “I Was given my phone for five minutes to make some calls. Just spent my first night in Mokolo cell with two Nigerians who fled Boko Haram terrorist attacks between Gwoza and Maiduguri in a town or village called Sigesia. My first night in a cell in Cameroon far north was because I went to a refugee camp with about 50,000 Nigerians to do an independent reporting without they allowing me to do so.

“Having contacted the minister of communication, spoken to the governor, the army spokesman here and having gone to the UNHCR office in Maroua and spoken with officials there, I realised they will never allow me to see Nigerians living there. So I went anyway.

“Entered the camp and saw things for myself at Minawao camp, 12 kilometres in the bush from the main road and about 60 kilometres from Maroua where Boko Haram have struck three times. I spent the night with Abdulahi Amidou who fled and was accused of bringing foodstuff. He denied it.

“Living the best hotel in Maroua to sleep in a stinking cell with mosquitoes everywhere was shocking but Abdulahi and the rest told me their horrific stories. My flight should be 31 from Ndjamena but with me in a cell, that’s difficult to achieve.”

He added, “Still with my phone in my cell. Before I left, I was told I will need to meet the governor of the region who will grant me access to the camp with Nigerians. I met the governor. He said he doesn’t have power. That power rests with the minister of communication.

“I got in touch with the minister and the army spokesman, sent text messages and so on. Here you need to travel to Yaoundé 800 kilometres away to meet the minister when he’s ready to meet you. Then he will send you to meet the governor in person in Maroua 800 kilometres back. Then the governor will send you to see the mayor. Then the mayor will send you to the gendarmerie. Then the gendarmerie will send people with you to the camp. The minister will choose which Nigerian in the camp you will speak with. And generally the leader who will tell you “We are grateful to the Cameroonian government. We are just very well treated here”. So that’s the procedure.”

Though the President of the Cameroon Journalism Trade Union, Dennis Nkwebo, and the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, CPJ, have condemned the arrest of  Simon Ateba, he is yet to be released. Continuous detaining of Simon in a dark Cameroonian cell, amounts to a violation of his fundamental human rights, since he has not committed any offence by going to investigate the situation of Nigerian refugees camped there. 

We already sent out a petition on behalf of Simon, and we counting on your support to help with his release . Kindly follow this link to sign the petition, and please share this story to help set him free. Thanks.  See photos of Simon in a very dark cell in Cameroon below.