Intimidation, muzzling: The Guardian Post Publisher arrested over faked cover page of newspaper!.

The celebrated media guru, acclaimed mediapreneur and journalism genius, with over 27 years of experience, was whisked from his Yaounde head office, Wednesday November 8, by four armed-to-the-teeth Gendarme officers in mufti.  

Ngah, who is a well-known name in the country, was picked by the Gendarme officers from the Central Research Unit at the State Defense Secretariat (Secrétariat d’État à la défense), SED, at about 10:30 a.m.

The arrest and detention of Ngah, has been described as pure intimidation and muzzling of the press by the Yaounde regime.

The Gendarme officers had accessed The Guardian Post head office building, after tricking the media organ’s security guard into believing that they were council agents. 

The hefty officers, after storming The Guardian Post head office, said they had been instructed by their hierarchy to arrest the daring journalist and media personality.

The arrest, the officers disclosed, had been ordered by their hierarchy, over a faked cover page of The Guardian Post of Tuesday November 7, 2023, which circulated on several social media platforms. 

The faked front page, over which Ngah is now paying the price, as has been the case since 2018 when the phenomenon of faking the newspaper’s cover pages started, is related to the massacre in Egbekaw village, Mamfe Central Subdivision, Manyu Division of the South West Region, which occurred Monday November 6. 

Despite collaborating as a responsible citizen and following the officers to the Central Research Unit of SED, The Guardian Post Publisher, was only set free after over eight hours. 

Ngah opted to drive with one of the security officers in his car, while the others followed behind on motorbikes during the early hours of yesterday when he was picked up. 

Treated like a common criminal

Attempts to get to The Guardian Post Publisher on phone were futile until after 5:30 p.m. yesterday. His lawyers also sweated it out for several hours in order to locate where he had been kept at SED by Gendarme officers. 

Ngah, it should be said, was, under such long hours of physical torture, interrogation and intimidation by the security officers, treated like a hardened criminal.

When this reporter and two other colleagues visited him at the Central Research Unit of SED yesterday, Ngah said since his arrest, he had been deprived of food, water and access to his telephone.

The Guardian Post Publisher, who has been a victim of social media cybercrimes, perpetrated by suspected separatist fighters, who are not comfortable with the editorial line of the media house, is today being haunted by the Yaounde regime. 

Ngah's phone was also thoroughly searched by the investigating officers of SED. 

Faking The Guardian Post’s front pages not new

It should be noted that the cover pages of The Guardian Post newspaper have repeatedly been faked for over five years and being circulated on the social media. The newspaper has repeatedly disclaimed such faked editions of its cover pages. 

It should be recalled that The Guardian Post’s official cover pages are always posted on the newspaper's Facebook page and The Guardian Post Daily (@guardian_post) on X, formerly Twitter.

Ngah was finally set free at 9:00 p.m. last night, after more than eight hours of grilling. 

Gov’t, separatists want Ngah Christian’s head?

It should be noted that following yesterday’s development, media pundits have been questioning if separatists and government want Ngah Christian’s head. 

It should be recalled that in February 2020, following persistent attacks on The Guardian Post by separatists and the government, Ngah had, in an interview, disclosed that the government and separatists, wanted his head as he was permanently under threats from government and separatists. 

Ngah had said The Guardian Post's middle-of-the-road editorial policy, especially on the crisis in the North West and South West Regions, has been given different interpretations by key actors in the crisis.

"Separatists, who express their frustration with The Guardian Post's middle-of-the-road editorial policy on the crisis, are vehement in their thinking that I have no reason whatsoever, not to use my newspaper, considered as the mouthpiece of Anglophones, to tell only their own side of the crisis," he had narrated.

To many separatists and their leaders abroad, Ngah said, The Guardian Post ought to use its wide readership and its position as the most credible English language newspaper, to champion the Anglophone independence struggle. 

Ngah had said all attempts to explain to separatists that The Guardian Post was not created to serve the interest of those who are pushing for Anglophone independence, have fallen on deaf ears.

Separatists, Ngah had narrated, believe the only reason The Guardian Post has refused to use its credibility and popularity to champion their independence dream is because the daily newspaper has been 'bought' over by government. 

"That apparently explains why Ambazonia fighters, on a daily basis, keep threatening me," Ngah had added. 

It should be recalled that to make good their threats, some ill-intentioned individuals, believed to be separatists, have since taken up the function of faking the front pages of The Guardian Post and circulating same on social media. 

It is worth noting that besides threatening The Guardian Post Publisher and faking the newspaper's front pages, separatists take turns to insult and make damaging remarks on The Guardian Post and its Publisher, each time the newspaper is posted on social media. 

They have also repeatedly banned the circulation of the newspaper in the North West and South West Regions. 

Ngah, who hails from Ndu in Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region, said he has become a refugee in Yaounde. 

"I have not visited even Bamenda, since 2017. From the threats that keep multiplying on a daily basis, I already know what awaits me if I set foot in Bamenda and fall into the dragnet of Ambazonia fighters," he had declared.

Gov't like separatists?

While separatists and Ambazonia fighters can be forgiven for their baseless accusations against The Guardian Post, because it is widely understood that most of them are less educated, analysts say the Yaounde authorities have no excuse for reasoning like the separatist militia and for accusing The Guardian Post, falsely, of trying to incite Anglophones against government. 

Aside the regular threats that come from several quarters regarding the leading English language daily newspaper's coverage of the crisis in the North West and South West Regions, The Guardian Post has systematically been blacklisted by some ministries and government institutions.

Why The Guardian Post is dreaded

From careful observation, other newspapers, which cover and report the Anglophone crisis as though they are either Amba Times or government newspapers, have never suffered the kind of victimisation The Guardian Post is going through in the hands of separatists and government. 

Asked why key actors in the Anglophone crisis get so jittery each time The Guardian Post runs a report on the crisis, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief had clarified: "Remember, aside being the leading English language daily newspaper in Cameroon, The Guardian Post is widely read and held in very high esteem by the powers that be and members of the diplomatic community in Cameroon".

It should be recalled that The Guardian Post is subscribed at the Presidency, Senate, National Assembly, many Embassies, Ministries, Public and para-public, private institutions among others. 

With an ever-growing readership, spread across Cameroon's ten Regions and across the globe, The Guardian Post does not only have a very strong social media presence, but counts more than 15,000 direct subscribers of its electronic version worldwide.