By Taiye Odewale Abuja Senate yesterday summoned the Minister of Defence, Brigadier–General Mansur Dan– Ali (rtd) to brief it on why the Camerounian soldiers were able to enter Nigeria and arrested some nationals.
It also urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema to “urgently liaise with his Camerounian counterpart to secure the release of innocent Nigerians even as it called for increased military presence in the Nigeria-Cameroun border and also intensify patrol within the area to prevent further acts of trespass by the Cameroun soldiers into Nigeria.
The resolutions followed a motion, “Influx of refugees from the Republic of Cameroun to some border communities in Cross River state and its attendant security fallout” by John Owan Enoh (APC, Cross River Central) and cosponsored by Rose Oko (PDP, Cross River North) and Gershom Bassey (PDP, Cross River South), respectively. Other resolutions include calling on Nigeria and Cameroun to strengthen the capacity of Nigeria-Cameroun transborder security committee aimed at addressing emerging trans-border security issues confronting the two countries and the need for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to intensify ongoing efforts aimed at protecting the Camerounian refugees and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement.
Enoh, while leading debate on the motion, alleged that over 80 Camerounian soldiers with various weapons, crossed the international border of the Danare-Daddi/Danre-Bodom axis and abducted five natives. The lawmaker also expressed worry that “the current situation being faced by both the refugees and host border communities if not tackled urgently may result in both an outbreak of epidemic and a serious humanitarian crisis and further escalate the already troubling security situation along these borders”.
He noted that “the current agitation for the independence of Southern Cameroun has caused influx of refugees to some border communities in Cross River state and over six thousand of the refugees are currently squatting at Obanliku, Boki, Etung and Ikom local government areas of the state.”
