Boko Haram: What journalist Simon Ateba told Cameroonian soldiers before they set him free
Been arrested in Cameroon's far north region for entering a refugee camp with 50,000 Nigerians. Been detained in Mokolo gendarmerie
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) August 28, 2015Journalist Simon Ateba arrested in Cameroon for entering a camp with 50000 Nigerians. He is there to simply do his job ... #freeSimonAteba
— Angela ulunma (@angelaagoawike) August 29, 2015#freesimonateba peaceful protest to the Cameroonian embassy schedule for Wednesday @10 am... @samade327 @THE_SAMPAOLO @DrJoeOdumakin
— Oluwatomiwa Babalola (@Babalola_Tomiwa) September 1, 2015Simon Ateba, who was freed after journalists called for his release, shared his experience on Tuesday.
He posted the following on Facebook.
After three nights and a day in a stinking cell in Cameroon’s far north and a long questioning at the office of their state security services where they asked me repeatedly “are you a spy for Boko Haram?”, I said “no.”
They asked again, “so you’re not a spy for Boko Haram?” I said “Sir as I said before, I am not a spy, not a spy for Boko Haram, ISIS or any other terrorist organisation or country. I am just a powerless journalist with a keyboard and a camera travelling the world to tell little stories of powerless people”
Then the state security service agents took me to my hotel room around midnight but without my passport, and phones.
I was then taken to the office of their general delegation 30 minutes ago and made to explain again to the top cop. My passport and phones have been given back to me, and I am free to travel out.
Sometimes this profession called journalism sucks, but looking back, I am happy I am a journalist. I will just get back to the cell to give some mosquito stuff and food to the three guys there who taught me to count from one to ten in Fulfulde, the language spoken in northern Cameroon. I thank God.
