Cameroon don hold five Naija Pastors over Politician wey dem kidnap

Five Naija pastors and some oda pipo wey dey live for Idabato II community for Cameroon, wey dem dey call Bakassi Peninsula before, don arrest and hold dem by Cameroonian authorities.

Dem hold dem afta dem kidnap di community Divisional Officer, Ewane Roland, by armed men for early October.

One former chairman of Yoruba community for di old Bakassi Peninsula, Eniola Alabo, talk dis one to Saturday PUNCH during interview for Tuesday.

Local media don report say Roland, plus anoda official for di council, Etongo Ismaeil, dem carry dem go on October 1, 2024, by gunmen wey use flying boat for di coastal area.

According to Alabo, di Cameroonian government don blame Naija wey dey for dia rea for Roland’s abduction and don send soldiers to catch dem.

“Di Gendarmerie come to di community and start to dey shoot sporadically for di air on did ay wey dem arrest some of these Naija,” Alabo talk.

Di man talk say him pipo for di troubled community call am and explain say di wahala don make dem dey panic and dey worry for di border town.

During di raid, some Naija, wey include Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, Idowu Ajimosun, Abiola Ajimosun, Blessing Ajimosun, Sunny Bassey, Feran Samagbeyi, and Godwin, dem detain for Idabato II.

Governor don lock down di community. Saturday PUNCH gadasay Cameroon South-West Governor, Bernard Okalia, come visit Idabato for October 8, 2024.

Him talk say e don declare total lockdown for dia rea, wey mostly get Naija wey be fishermen.

Okalia talk say e don give 72-hour ultimatum to both Naija and Cameroonians for di community make dem bring Roland come alive.

One clip of di visit, wey our correspondent get, show am dey talk, “All shops don close, di churches don close till further notice.

No exit, no entry for dis whole Idabato.” Alabo talk say Naija for di community don suffer economically, wey cause hunger and frustration.

Residents, however, dem talk say dem no go mind di governor order for di first week of November make dem continue dia fishing business.

“Dem stay for house dey do nothing for three weeks.”

“Di pipo dey hungry bicos dem source of livelihood don stop.”

“Dem gatz go outside go chop,” Alabo talk.

“Di action wey dem say make di Cameroonian authorities vex, wey send soldiers go Idabato for di 10th and 11th of November 2024 to arrest Naija for di community.”

According to Alabo, di soldiers come invade di community come dey shoot for di air anyhow, wey make plenty Naija suffer different level of injury.

Pastors wey dem arrest. During di lockdown wey dem impose on Naija for Idabato II, churches too lock.

But wen Naija begin do dem normal activities again, churches too open on Sunday for Christians.

“Some soldiers enta di Assembly Church of God for dia rea and carry di Naija pastors wey dey dere bicos dem tell dem make dem no do any work,” na wetin di Bakassi Peninsula ex-leader talk.

“Di names of di pastors wey Cameroonian soldiers carry dat day na Adeleke Omoniye, Cascar Ubom, Etim Asuquo, Olamide Ayeye, and Umoh Atete.”

To support di claims, one of di Naija leaders for Idabato, wey identify himself as Johnson for security reasons, talk say di lives of di pastors dey in danger.

Johnson talk say di soldiers carry di pastors go unknown places.

“Di Cameroonian soldiers carry di pastors go,” Johnson talk. “A few days later, we hear say dem don release dem, but we never see dem.”

Di source still talk say di mata make plenty pipo relocate go di neighboring communities for Akwa Ibom and Cross River.

“We dey panic,” di source reveal. “

“Di Cameroonian authorities don make life no easy for Naija for Idabato.”

“We get all di major tribes of Naija here. We get Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Efik, and oda pipo.”

Woman don die

During di lockdown, one Naija woman, Esther Okon, die afta she born pikin for 20th of October, 2024.

Esther Okon bleed to death afta she born bicos she no fit get any medical treatment from di hospital.

One of di executives of di Naija Union for Idabato, wey talk on condition say make dem no show him face, disclose dis, come add say di woman don dey labour since 19th October.

Di source talk say Esther Okon for no die if dem carry am go Ibaka for Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom State, but no movement dey.

“E go take only two hours by speedboat but if we see flying boat, na just 45 minutes to carry am go Akwa Ibom,” di source talk.

Confirming di mata, anoda Naija man wey claim say e be Okon husband friend and no gree show im identity for security reason, talk say dem don carry di corpse go Naija afta dem sign some documents with di Cameroonian authorities.

“Dem carry di corpse go Ibaka for Naija afta im husband sign some papers with di Cameroonian government,” di source talk.

Tax payments 

One of di wahala wey dey cause problem between di Cameroonian authorities and Naija for Idabato na di payment of taxes.

Di authorities don accuse Naija nationals for Idabato say dem dey evade taxes.

But proof dey say dem dey pay taxes wey even don show to dem many times, Johnson talk.

“We get document like receipt wey dem give us as proof afta we don pay tax.”

“Dem dey call am global tax wey dem dey collect every year,” di source add.

Saturday PUNCH gada say some of di tax fit no don reach di correct place.

Failed interventions 

Wen dem ask about di possible intervention of di offices of di Consulate-Generals of di two West African countries, di Naija pipo talk say dia effort no go don work.

“I don go di office of di Consulate-General of Cameroon for Naija, but nothing happen.”

“Dem no even allow me see di woman at all.”

“I hear say she na new pesin wey dem appoint,” Alabo talk.

All effort wey dem make to reach di Consulate-General of Cameroon for Naija no work as both di numbers and email wey dey dia website don look like dem dey sleep as at di time wey dem dey file dis report.

NiDCOM reaction 

Meanwhile, di Naija in Diaspora Commission tell Saturday PUNCH say di mata na for di consular division of di Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle.

As dem dey explain why e no dey under NiDCOM jurisdiction, di commission Head of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun talk say di issue don involve Naija and Cameroon.

“NiDCOM only dey engage for mata wey concern Naija pipo for di diaspora,” Balogun talk.

“Dis case na between two governments. E suppose dey handled by di consular office.”

“Moreover, I no sabi di incident,” NiDCOM spokesman add.

Di effort wey dem dey make to try reach Ministry of Foreign Affairs about di mata no work as di number no dey connect.

Dem send message go di email address of di ministry but no response dey as we dey file dis report.

For 2002, di International Court of Justice give di oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

On June 12, 2006, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Cameroonian President Paul Biya sign di Greentree Agreement, wey talk about how dem go withdraw Naija soldiers and transfer authority.

Some Naija don waka comot di community to move to di coastal areas wey belong to Naija states wey be Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

Meanwhile, about 50,000 Naija still dey live for Bakassi Peninsula, dem dey claim say di Idabato community wey dey now still be dia ancestral home even though e dey under Cameroon control.

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