The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio has called the attention of the Senate to the indiscriminate and wanton killings of Nigerians in the Bakassi region.
According to the Senator, the Bakassi indigenes are being killed by Cameroonians almost daily in their natural habitat.
His words: “We now have the Bakassi freedom fighters in the Bakassi Peninsula that are involved in all forms of criminal activities. The area is now a den for criminals and nobody is allowed to fish unless they pay N100, 000.
“If you are not able to pay, they throw you into the sea and as a result many of our people have died and many enslaved in their own land. It is therefore important that we the representatives of the people cry out.
“Also, the Federal Government should do everything possible to compel the Cameroonian authorities to respect the agreement that we entered into.
“The primary purpose of government as enshrined in Section 14(2b) is the protection of lives and property, so we have the obligation to protect our people. We have realised that insurgents and militants are moving to the area,” he said.
The lawmaker regretted that Calabar that was known for peace was no longer peaceful as a result of the development.
The Senate in its resolution, which followed a motion, ‘Re: Bakassi Indigenes in Diaspora in the Cameroons’, moved by Rose Oko (PDP/Cross River North) and five others, referred the matter to its Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, and to report back within two weeks.
Oko, while leading debate on the motion, said Cross River and Akwa Ibom states’ indigenes formerly Nigerians had become Nigerians living in Diaspora in the Cameroons, and alarmed that “these Nigerians already traumatised by suddenly finding themselves as foreigners in their natural habitat are being subjected to further harassment”.