Simon Ateba, a journalist born and bred in Cameroun, got the beating of his life on Sunday when some security men attached to the headquarters of Christ Embassy in Lagos beat him until he fainted. Ateba relives his ugly experience in this interview with SESAN OLUFOWOBI. Why were you beaten up by the security men at the headquarters of Christ Embassy?

I was doing a story on the biggest churches in West Africa, so on Sunday, that is 22nd February, I went to Christ Embassy. I had already gone to the Redeemed Christian Church of God along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. I had also gone to the Winners’ Chapel at Cannanland in Otta, Ogun State. I was also supposed to go to Prophet T.B. Joshua’s church, which is the Synagogue Church of All Nations. I had written the story, so the only thing I needed to do was to take photographs. I had already got the photographs of all the other churches, so I went to Christ Embassy to get the photograph of the church. I got there around 4.30 in the evening with a photographer from Happy Days magazine. We had not taken the photographs. The church was located by the road side, so the photographer was looking for the best angle. He went to the other side of the road in order to get an establishment shot. The security men of the church sighted us from inside. Then they came of out from the church and met us at the other side of the road and told us to follow them inside. I told them I was a journalist. I brought out my identity card and told them that I work with The News and PM News, and that I was doing a story on the biggest churches in West Africa. I said the church had been mentioned in the story, so I needed the photograph of the church. I also told them that if they did not want me to take the shots, they could give me studio photographs of the church. They said no, I should follow them. They just gripped my trouser and dragged us inside

Did you argue with them?

No. There was no argument except my explanation. In fact, they came in a violent way. I think those guys were policemen or soldiers. Before I knew it, they just grabbed me with my belt and dragged us inside the church building. In fact, they did not mind the traffic. In fact, a car was approaching and could have killed all of us. The photojournalist was angry and he told them that they should not drag us like criminals because we are journalists. They said that we needed to take permission and we said they you should have told us that. In the course of dragging us, the camera of the photo journalist dropped. They picked it up and carried the man into the church. They started beating him, hitting him on the head. They made him to sit on the floor. I told them that a journalist should not be treated that way. They said ok, we should follow them. At that time, they had not touched me. So they took us to the office of the chief security officer of the church. I believe he is a pastor in the church. When I got to the office, I quickly called my News Editor and explained the situation to him. They told me to stop the call. I switched off my phone as they insisted.

There were four men and one lady in the room. They locked the door. They told me to stand behind the office cabinet and face the wall. I asked them why, but one of them hollered, ‘Mr Man, you don’t know where you are. If you say anything silly, we will beat you silly.’ I thought they were joking. For Christ sake, this is a church. I put my hand in my pocket to hold my phone. They just rushed at me and collected the phone. They them removed everything on me, including my I.D card. They pushed me behind the cabinet and insisted they wanted to listen to the photo journalist first. They then started saying all kind of things. They said journalists write rubbish, that they didn’t need my story. They said their pastor had made a name and so did not need my story.

What did you do?

I tried to explain to them that I believed that a church is a public place and that I did not know that I could be subjected to such violence in a church. They asked what I meant by that statement. It was the lady that said so. The lady was the worst person there. She looked at my suit and insulted it. By the way, that was my best suit. I bought that suit for the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence, because I won an award for action photography. That was the suit I wore that day. I bought it two days to the award. It is my best suit for now. But she looked at my suit and said, ‘See your suit, journalist. If you are poor, you should come to this place so that we can give you money.’ I did not know what to say. She got angry and said that if I kept looking at her she would slap me. I was shocked. I mean, a lady behaving this way? Later, they took us to another office. They checked the camera but they did not see anything because we had not taken any shot. Still, they refused to let us go. They started advising us. They told me never to come to Christ Embassy again. I told them that it is a public place because it is a church. They became furious and started giving me all kinds of blow. Then the chief security officer hit me on the left side of my head. He gave me a blow and I fell to the ground. I was not unconscious, I was just dazed, but I could hear what they were saying. They said I should sit on the floor. I tried to sit down but I fell again. They started laughing. They said maybe I was possessed. They said that was how their pastor used to deliver people at deliverance sessions. They said if I wanted to die, I should die. They said M.K.O Abiola died in this country and nothing happened. They started making jest of my shoes. I bought the shoes with 25 per cent of my salary and they were laughing at it. They said it was poverty that was deceiving me. Ah! They said all kind of things. Meanwhile my editor was trying to call me, but they had confiscated my phone.

Did you reply them?

Well, yes. I asked the lady what was wrong in being poor even if I were poor. The good thing to me was to work hard. They were just talking as if they were not born again. The level of violence in their words was out of this world.

Did the commotion not attract any of their senior people?

The people in suits were their top guys. They were actually pastors in the church. The ones that arrested us were mere security guys but the people in suits, including the lady, were actually the people that make decision.

Are you sure you didn’t have any problem with them before?

Never! The only thing I can think of was the story we wrote in The News magazine about Oyakilime’s billions.

Maybe that is what is bugging them.

I think so too. Because I went to Oyakilome’s father’s burial in Ekpoma, Edo State

Are you from Edo State?

No I am not from there.

Where are you from?

It is a long story. But I grew up with my mum. My mum is from Cameroun. I even had my education there. I got my degree in Cameroun. I studied Mathematics in the University of Yaounde.

So what happened in Edo State?

When he lost his father, I went there. The only thing they could remember about PM News and The News was that story about Oyakilome’s businesses. They said why did we talk about the businesses of the pastor when he was doing other things? But I never had any incident with them personally. I don’t worship there. I had never been there until that day. I just went there that day because of the story.

When you went to the other churches, the Redeemed and Winners’ Chapel, did you not follow protocol?

I did not have any problem. At Redeemed, I just took the pictures from outside. At Cannanland, they told us to wait till they finished service so that we would not snap the worshippers. We did not have any problem in those places.

But when they told you that you had to take permission at Christ Embassy, why didn’t you?

The way they came, it was not that they came and said, ‘Good morning, what can we do for you?’ They just came, grabbed us and dragged us. We could not talk. There was no time to talk. I even later explained to them that I was a journalist, that we were doing a story and that the story was not negative. It was about biggest churches in West Africa, that the church was mentioned. They did not listen.

How were you rescued?

The photojournalist’s boss is a white man. After they had beaten me and I fainted, the photojournalist begged them to let him buy me water. They allowed him. He now called his boss. The white man called some top officers in the police who ordered the policemen from Alausa Police Division to rescue us. When the police stormed the place, I was still on the floor, but I had regained my consciousness.

What did they do?

The policemen rushed me to the general hospital, to the emergency unit. I am supposed to collect the medical report on Friday (yesterday). They gave me some drugs and I went home. Yesterday (Tuesday), we went back to the police station and we now went back to the church to pick some people up, because only two of them were arrested that day: the head of the security and another man who was wearing an army uniform. But they were not the main people. The main people were those people in suits. We went back yesterday. When we got to the church, it was empty. All the offices had been abandoned. The police officer that led the team that went with me told me that he had called them that we were coming. I don’t think it should be like that. You don’t inform someone that you are coming to arrest him.

So they did not achieve anything?

The police left a note that they should meet us at the station. The chief security officer and the other man came. Everybody at the station knew him. They started hailing him. He gave some of them money. They were saying ‘Man

of God…Man of God.’

Are you saying you don’t expect anything from them?

No I don’t expect to get justice because the man is well known there. In fact, one police officer there was saying that he wanted to see Pastor Chris in person because the pastor had been sending cases to him and he had been handling it well. It was as if the man was power drunk. He was so comfortable at the police station. I asked the IPO why he invited us. He said he wanted to tell me that I should bring the medical report on Friday so that it would be part of their file. He said on Monday, we will come and sit together to resolve our differences. And if we can’t we would go to court.

So you are meeting on Monday?

There is no difference to resolve. I am suing them, the pastor, Christ embassy, all of them

Have they made moves to talk to you or your organisation?

No, they have not. They said they don’t care. That there is nothing journalists can write against Christ Embassy. They said they have already made their name.

So, what next?

I am suing them for N200 million

Is your organisation involved?

I have not informed them. I want to get the medical report. I will inform them.

So how would you compare journalism in Cameroon with what obtains in Nigeria?

The thing is that journalism here is strong. The whole environment is just hostile and tough. Any journalist that succeeds here can practice anywhere else and succeed. People are so suspicious. That is why journalists are being beaten and killed anyhow. People don’t know the role of the press. Even the Christ Embassy people, they don’t know that journalists also work for them. I am not against Christ Embassy.

What about Cameroun?

I think Biya has been there for amost 26 years. When it comes to the government, you know journalists have a lot of limitation. The guy wants to die in power. He has increased the salary of the police and the military. So they are the people helping him to rule the country. But journalists have some freedom with the people. What happens here is that besides the government, individuals, organisations, churches are so powerful. The whole atmosphere is…I don’t know.

You studied Mathematics.

Yes

Why did you take to journalism?

I love journalism, I love writing.

With what happened to you on Sunday, do you still like journalism?

Well, the risk is high and you are not well paid. But despite that, I don’t regret being a journalist.

If they send you back there, will you go?

I will still go. But there is something I want the National Assembly to do for us. They should make it clear that the churches and mosques are public places. That is why they don’t pay taxes. They are making millions and they don’t pay taxes. There should be freedom in places like that. That is why people are advocating for the Freedom of Information Bill.

Maybe they think you wanted to write a negative story...

The truth is that we are doing our work. News is what is unusual. You go to somewhere and you see 50, 000 people worshipping; that is news. It is not a daily thing. We should be determined. We should not let the tough environment discourage us. There is no turning back. You have to keep working until you are separated from the pack. And that was what happened when I won the DAME award. They told us that it was easy to write anything but to write what people want to hide is another thing. Many people have talked about their miracle; maybe they are scared. But we journalists should continue to write about it.