Cameroun Deports 3000 Nigerians In Trucks
A group of Nigerian refugees rest in the Cameroon town of Mora after fleeing armed attacks.[/caption]
Over 3000 Nigerians have been deported from Cameroun in reaction Nigeria’s Islamic extremists, Boko Haram, who have launched attacks across borders.
Cameroon’s government spokesman, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, on Tuesday revealed that suspected Boko Haram terrorists camouflaged as refugees with explosives hidden in their luggage were arrested at a camp in northern Cameroon.
Governor of Cameroon’s Far North region, Midjiyawa Bakary stated that authorities have arrested hundreds of other Cameroonians and Nigerians accused of collaborating with Boko Haram.
Advertisement
Nigerians who were deported by the nationality had said that they were refugees but were not staying at camps and lacked identification papers.
“In the different villages there is a certain population of foreigners and they are hiding behind some Cameroonians and hiding those Boko Haram suspects,” Midjiyawa Bakary said.
The U.N. refugee agency says a camp in Cameroun’s Far North Region now hosts about 44,000 people and estimates there are 12,000 unregistered refugees in the region.
In Nigeria, many of those expelled said they were forced out quickly. “It was a terrible journey. We spent almost six days on the road, we initially pleaded with the Camerounian officials to give us grace of some days,” but were put in trucks, said Musa Kawuri, a 52-year-old trader.
Advertisement
National Emergency Management Agency Camps Coordinator in Adamawa, Sa’ad Bello said that everyone expelled would be sent to Yola, Adamawa State capital, he added that the condition of the deported Nigerians is good.
However, some refugees said that several people died during their hike to the border.
