No Proof Nigerians Were Killed By Cameroonian Soldiers In Bakassi, Minister Says

Contrary to reports that some Nigerians were killed by Cameroonian soldiers in Bakassi weeks back, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama said on Wednesday there is no evidence to back up the allegation.

Speaking before the House of Representatives committee on foreign affairs, Mr Onyeama said scores of Nigerians drowned in Bakassi while fleeing Cameroonian forces over fear of paying taxes they owed the government.

The House of Representatives committee, headed by Nnena Elendu-Ukeje, is currently probing the ugly incident after it was widely reported that Cameroonian forces slaughtered 97 Nigerian fisherman in Bakassi.

The minister who was represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Olusola Enikanolaye, said community leaders in the area confirmed the drowning but had no proof that the deceased Nigerians were killed by Cameroonian soldiers.

He explained that the recent drowning incident took place following the deployment of a new divisional officer (DO) to Idabato sub-division of Cameroon to administer the Bakassi general area in July 2017.

According to Mr Onyeama, the new DO enforced the new tax rules and made it compulsory for businesses, a move that forced the fishermen to flee the land.

“On assumption of office, the new DO commenced the imposition of new taxes on the residents after a meeting with all the chiefs,” he said.

“Accordingly, all men engaged in fishing and other business activities in the area were to pay N55,000, women 30,000 and churches N50,000 per annum.

“Furthermore, taxes on packets of fish were raised from N200 to N1,000. Butchers were to pay N1,000 per head for goats slaughtered by them.

“The sanctions placed on the residents for violation of the tax rules include seizure of their boats and payment of 200 per cent of the initial tax.

“This accounts for the N100,000 which was hitherto heralded in the news and initial reports as the amount of the tax to be paid by Nigerians.”

He said that some Nigerians fled their homes and headed for the Ikang Jetty “when the new DO threatened to use force. It was while they were on their way that some of them reportedly drowned.

“Unfortunately, the leaders who confirmed these assertions to the team had no corpse of persons drowned in the incident as proof of the manner of death.”