Adagom Settlement for Cameroonian refugees in Ogoja Twitter
Barrister Ayah Paul Abine, Cameroon’s retired Supreme Court judge and controversial political figure has announced the demise of his nephew at a refugee camp hosting Cameroonians running from the violence that has since characterised the crisis in the country’s North West and South West regions.
Etonong George Ayah is said to have died on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at the Adagom settlement, Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River State in Nigeria leaving behind a big family to mourn him.
Ayah in a statement said: “On behalf of the Ayah Family, Ayah Paul Abine announces that his nephew, Ayah’s younger brother’s first son, Etonong George Ayah, just died this evening, the 15th day of May, 2019, in the Ogoja Refugee camp. He has left behind a widow, several children, family relations and many friends. Merciful God!”
He however did not announce the cause of the death nor the circumstances under which his nephew died.
It would be recalled that late last year, two Cameroonians died in the same camp in Ogoja. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR announced the death of two Cameroonian refugees in Adagom settlement, Ogoja LGA, Cross River State on August 30, 2018.
“According to medical sources, the refugees died of poisoning, allegedly after consumption of wild venomous mushrooms. Investigations by the authorities are ongoing. Other two refugees, all belonging to the same household, were also hospitalized. One of them has been already discharged, while the other is still in the hospital and he will be discharged soon,” the UNHCR said in a statement at the time.
“Anglophone Cameroonians began fleeing violence in September 2017 and sought refuge in Nigeria's Cross River, Taraba, Benue and Akwa-Ibom states. In total, 21,291 refugees have been registered in the area. Women and children account for 80% of the population,” the refugee agency had said in a statement dated August 30, 2018.
More Cameroonians are arriving through Cross River, Taraba and Benue States in South-South and Middle-Belt Nigeria. Those crossing over continue to use informal entry points because official borders between Cameroon and Nigeria remain closed in the above-mentioned states.
The receiving communities largely are Amana, Akamkpa, Agbokim, Ikom/Ajasso and Boki in Cross River State and Abande and Imande Agabtse in Benue State. The asylum seekers are mainly coming from Akwaya, Otu, Eyumojock, Nsan, Dadi & Bodam in Cameroon’s South West Anglophone region.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, remains generally concerned that, as the crisis in Cameroon continues, and the government adopts extra security measures, more asylum seekers will arrive. UNHCR will scale up its registration activity to identify gaps in information necessary to better estimate needs and response planning for the asylum seekers.
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