Douala: Man of God illegally arrested, detained without charge

Christians of the Sonship Embassy Global Outreach Church in Ajip, in Douala, have condemned the illegal arrest of Apostle Njio Bennett Chia, the leader of the church in September 23, 2021, by elements of the Youpwé Gendarmerie.

Apostle Njio Bennett is said to have been kept incommunicado for the first 24 hours of his arrest, despite no crime being leveled against him till today according to those familiar with the matter.

We spoke to the Man of God’s sister who recounted the story to us. She said Apostle Njio Bennett left the house with his landlady who requested if he could follow her to a piece of land she owned at Youpwé.

“Suddenly as they are at the plot, Gendarmes arrived and took some boys who were with them as well. They asked the landlady who Apostle Njio Bennett was and she said he was her son, that he was a pastor,”

His sister says Apostle Njio Bennett was asked to follow them to the station to answer some questions, which he did willingly.
“He was taken away and locked up at the Gendarmerie… I got there at around 11 pm and requested to see my brother. They denied me access and brutalized me, ” she said.

“We were later assured that he had committed no crime and that he would be released in the morning,” she revealed. He however was not released the next morning but rather bundled away and taken to the New Bell Prison.

Apostle Njio Bennett and the two other guys arrested on the plot were presented before the court two days after their arrest. “They judged asked them one question; are you guilty or not? They replied not guilty, and then he proceeded to adjourn the hearing to one month later, stating that the complainant was unavailable.”

Further revelations have suggested that the land on which the pastor got arrested, was a disputed piece of land. It is also believed by his church members that Apostle Njio Bennett had only gone to the plot to pray when he was arrested and detained by the Gendarmes.