les gendarmes pendant le défilé Internet
Local officials of Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom State have revealed that Cameroonian gendarmes attacked a fishing community called Ababa, around the Bakassi Peninsula, killing dozens and taking along some denizens.
The Village Head of Ifa Ikot Akpan in Uyo, Etteidung Eden Ebong CIA said to have confirmed the incidents to Nigerian journalists in Uyo, as he stated that most of the victims were Akwa Ibom indigenes.
He also claimed that several others have been abducted and detained at the detention facility in Cameroon, while many have gone missing.
Nigerian news organ, This Day, said Etebong Bassey, a fisherman, who escaped the incident and fled into his community in the coastal community of Uruan Local Government Area, stated the unresolved problem of multiple taxations by Akwa Ibom and Cameroonian authorities triggered the violent act.
“As fishermen, we have been paying multiple taxes to different authorities for Akwa Ibom and Cameroon for several years now and the youths became angry and protested over the issue. So, the Gendarmes cash in on the protest and invaded the communities within the Shell Creek area,” he explained.
According to the victim, three days ago, some fishermen who are indigenes of Uyo and Uruan, who visited home for a funeral ceremony were forced to return on their way back to Abana, when they got a distress call that their homes in Abana had been invaded and several people killed, some abducted and properties destroyed by gendarmes from Cameroon.
The local chief has made an appeal to top Nigerian officials for urgent intervention to rescue the missing victims.
“Yes, the victims returned with tales of woes in my palace here. They told me their settlements at Abana had been destroyed with over 40 of them killed, while several others were arrested on trump up allegations of starting the problem that degenerated into a full blown crisis”, he said.
“Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to kindly look into the crisis and communicate to appropriate authorities in the area to help release our people from captivity and save their lives as many of those affected are from my domain,” Etteidung Ebong said.
However, Pastor Ekikere Umoh, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Obong Moses Ekpo, the state’s Deputy Governor, whose office is in-charge of boundary matters, said: “the office of the Deputy Governor has no business with communal wars”.
Cameroonian authorities are yet to comment on these claims.
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