In a rare move, aimed at protecting Nigerian citizens and refugees from Southern Cameroons who’ve fled the violence perpetrated by La Republique security forces, the Nigeria House of Senate had sought to cap the constant harassments experienced around border towns of the Cross River state.

Senators gathered Wednesday in the red chamber in order to draft resolution aimed at beefing up military presence and intensifying border patrol in order to prevent future trespasses by La Republique soldiers with such blatant disregard for Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Senator John Enoh, An APC lawmaker for the Cross River constituency sponsored the motion, in his remarks while tabling the issue he notes the current agitation borne out of the growing cry for an independent Southern Cameroons has resulted to an influx of refugees especially at border communities across the Cross River State. He reiterated the fact that over six thousand of these destitute people are presently ”squatting” under deplorable conditions around Obanliku, Boki, Etung and Ikom local government areas of his constituency.

The lawmaker did it limit his concern for the situation of the dire need surrounding the humanitarian crisis which has befallen his State, he also said ”The Senate is informed that on January 25, 2018, more than 80 Cameroonian soldiers with various weapons crossed international border of the Danare-Dadi / Danare-Bodom axis and abducted five natives. The Senate observes that this is a calculated assault/ offense from the Cameroonian military on Nigeria and an outright defiance of Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty, not minding the consequences of crossing the International boundary to carry out intimidation and harassment on the already alarmed citizens in Danare, with warnings of further assault”.

Lawmakers jointly called on Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs minister to urgently get together with his counterpart of La Republique and chart a way forward to secure the release of what they consider ”innocent Nigerians” while seek to strengthen trans-border security. The Senators aimed to create a committee to address emerging border security issues plaguing both countries.

With the aim of increasing productivity across all relevant federal government agencies responsible for the management of emergency services; National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the senators seek to see these relieve agencies double their efforts in providing material and humanitarian support to refugees.

Neba Benson,

BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst

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