[5] On August 28, 2015, Ateba was arrested by Cameroonian authorities and accused of spying for Boko Haram as he investigated the living conditions of Nigerian refugees camped in the country's north.
[10] Ateba moved to Washington, D.C. in 2017 to report on Africa–United States relations, which he told The New York Times was motivated by an interest in the subject and the desire to leave West Africa due to dangers he experienced working as a journalist.
[5] In September 2023, Ateba shared a fake video allegedly of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy performing a belly dance.
"[13] In April 2024, Ateba was included as one of the defendants in a defamation lawsuit by a man who was falsely identified as the perpetrator of the 2023 Allen, Texas mall shooting, alongside others such as Fox News, Newsmax and InfoWars personality Owen Shroyer.
[10] In December 2021, Ateba questioned Jen Psaki about the Omicron-linked travel ban President Biden imposed on eight African nations.
[1] On March 20, 2023, Ateba shouted at Karine Jean-Pierre during a press conference that included the cast of the comedy series Ted Lasso.
[10] In July 2023, the White House warned Ateba that he would risk losing access to briefings if he continued to disrupt and prevent other reporters from asking questions when called.
[21] After the new policy on White House hard passes took effect on July 31, 2023, Ateba filed a lawsuit against Karine Jean-Pierre, contending that his inability to obtain press credentials amounted to discrimination.