Troops of Nigerian Army have intercepted and arrested eight members of a syndicate smuggling fuel from Nigeria to the Ambazonian rebels in the Republic of Cameroon to facilitate terrorists’ activities.

A statement by the Nigerian Army on its official X handle (formerly Twitter) said the suspects were arrested during a sting operation on Friday May 25, 2024 along the Abong-Kurmi Baissa Road in Taraba State, between Nigeria and Cameroon border.

The suspects identified as Jafaru Adamu, 32; Auwal Haruna, 34; Umar Dahiru; Mubarak Abdullahi, 20; Saidu Musa, 26; Bashiru Ibrahim, 18; Danlami Yahuaza, 19, and 19-year-old Abubakar Abdullahi were caught on their way to the border with large quantity of fuel.

The Army also revealed that the culprits confessed to smuggling and selling fuel to the Cameroonian Ambazonian rebels who are prohibited from entering Nigeria to purchase the product directly following preliminary investigation.

“The suspects revealed that they have previously bought fuel from Gassol and Bali local government areas at the rate of ₦950 per litre.

“However, they discovered that in Takum LGA the fuel was sold at ₦800 per liter, prompting them to source for the product in Takum.

“At the time of their arrest, the suspects were traveling in three J5 vehicles, carrying 605 jerry cans, each with a capacity of 40 liters, totaling 24,200 liters of fuel. The fuel, valued at ₦800 per liter, amounts to a total worth of Nineteen Million Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira (₦19,360,000) only,” the Army said.

It said further investigation led to the identification of other members of the smuggling syndicate, including Alhaji Abdulmumini, Jafaru Adamu, Babilu Zubairu, Sule Abong, and Mark Akawu, who is reportedly the chairman of the syndicate based in Abong, a border community between Kurmi LGA of Taraba State and the Republic of Cameroon.

Source: Leadership.ng

Environmental ministers from Nigeria and Cameroon have made conservation history by signing a highly-anticipated Memorandum of Understanding to address the illegal trade in wild species.

The agreement promises to tackle wildlife crime across the 2,000km shared border between the two countries. Tropical timber such as rosewood, elephant ivory, pangolin scales, and other wildlife commodities are among the typical high-value items that are poached and smuggled between countries.

The MoU, signed by Nigeria’s Environment Minister and Cameroon’s Minister for Forestry and Wildlife, will address wildlife poaching and illegal trade through a framework to jointly implement transboundary wildlife programmes, intelligence sharing protocols, and enhanced enforcement cooperation.

“This agreement marks a critical milestone for a nature-positive future”, said Richard Scobey, Executive Director of TRAFFIC.

TRAFFIC is proud to have supported development of this decisive process to crack down on crime and move towards legal and sustainable use of wild species that benefits both local communities and entire nations.”

Cameroon and Nigeria’s shared border has been routinely exploited by wildlife traffickers who target both local and migratory species. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as extensive TRAFFIC investigations, have identified each country as both major sources and transit hubs for the global illegal trade in wild species.

The transboundary nature of wildlife crime and the social, developmental, and economic issues that drive it, require urgent cooperation between countries. Wildlife poaching, trafficking, and associated illegal activity has destabilising national repercussions, contributing to poverty, food and income instability, biodiversity collapse, and national revenue loss.

The agreement signed on Friday exemplifies an overall approach that is needed to counter such threats.

It marks a strong positive step in responding to the devastating environmental and human consequences of the illegal trade in wild species through a formalised management, conservation, sustainability, and enforcement framework.

TRAFFIC is pleased to have played a leading role in supporting Parties reach this agreement by providing extensive insights into domestic and international trade dynamics, technical advice into the development of the MoU itself, and funding support via local projects.

We congratulate both governments on this significant agreement and look forward to supporting subsequent efforts to preserve the rich biodiversity of both nations and support the sustainable and legal use of natural resources.”

Culled from Traffic

Six Cameroonian professors working in Nigerian universities and four others have sought the immediate intervention of the House of Representatives to secure their release after being allegedly abducted and deported to their home country.

According to the Nation, they said they had been imprisoned in Cameroon since January 2018.

It was learned that they were being detained at Kondengui Security Detention facility in Cameroon.

The detainees who claimed to be legal residents in Nigeria alleged that they were illegally abducted and deported from Nigeria on January 5, 2018, to Cameroon, on “frivolous allegations of plotting to destabilise the government of La Republique du Cameroon (LRC) President Mr. Paul Biya.”

They added that they were unlawfully prosecuted and remanded in prison in their home country, Cameroon despite two subsisting judgements given by Nigerian courts which declared their prolonged detention as unlawful.

Those who submitted the petition to the Nigerian federal lawmakers on their behalf are Prof. Carlson Anyangwe, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Barr. Fru Joseph Awah, Barr. Abdul Oroh and Barr. Mbinkar Ernestine Singeh.

They added that considering the position of Nigerian courts on this, the House of Representatives should compel the Cameroonian government to free them from prison and compensate them financially.

They also added that in October 2022, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN-HRC-WGAD) in Communication 59/2022 of October 14, 2022, found their arrest and detention by Nigeria and Cameroon arbitrary and illegal and asked both countries to unconditionally free the victims and pay them appropriate compensation.

The petition reads: “Cause the government of Nigeria to institute an urgent action to secure the implementation of Communication 59/2022 of 14th October 2022 of the UN-HRC-WGAD calling for the release of the Petitioners.

“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and implement the rulings in the 3 judgments of the Federal High Court of Abuja in 2019, ordering the release and compensation of these Petitioners.

“Cause Nigeria to leverage on the Abuja 2002 ruling in the case of Kelvin Ngwang Ngumne et al Vs the FGN, demanding that Nigeria intervenes to resolve the conflict between Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun and respect for the particular clause of the Green Tree Agreement which demands that both la Republique du Cameroun and Nigeria retain their boundaries at independence, To pursue the self-determination quest of the Southern Cameroons to its logical conclusion as mandated by the FHC 2002 judgment.

“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and urgently initiate proceedings before the ICJ and other international jurisdictions citing la République du Cameroun to be sanctioned for fraudulent misrepresentation during the Bakassi Peninsula case in the ICJ.

“Cause the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take its rightful place as “big brother” in African politics and cause the African Union or the United Nations to intervene in the matter between the Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun or to proceed as mediator and resolve the ongoing conflict and restore peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea region.”

At the last hearing of the subject before the House Committee on Public Petitions, Mohammed Manu, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no record of the petition.

He did, however, state that their results proved that the government was handling the situation as a security and legal concern.

Hon. Mike Etaba, Chairman of the Committee, adjourned the hearing till April 16, 2024, for proper service and hearing.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Over the past two decades, Nigeria has grappled with multiple and complex national security threats, each posing a significant challenge to its stability.

The nation finds itself fighting a violent militancy in the Niger Delta, conflicts between farmers and herders across multiple regions, terrorism and insurgency in the northeast, banditry in the northwest and secessionist campaigns by groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra in the southeast.

Now a new layer of complexity has emerged in the form of the Ambazonian secessionist group from Cameroon. This group’s growing threat, most recently seen in the December 2023 violent invasion of the Nigerian borderline village of Belegete, adds to the strain on Nigeria’s national security capabilities.

As a scholar specializing in radicalization, violent extremism and counterterrorism in West and Central Africa, I believe the latest threat raises concerns about Nigeria’s strategic preparedness and ability to confront growing challenges.

How the country responds could have far-reaching consequences. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and most populous country. Since its independence in 1960, Nigeria has played a crucial role in regional stability and security. It remains an important diplomatic partner for the United States, which provides support to the Nigerian government in its efforts to combat extremism in the region.

Rise of a violent campaign

Ambazonian separatists, seeking independence from the Republic of Cameroon, are mounting a bloody civil war that stems from the Anglophone crisis, a protracted conflict rooted in the colonization of Cameroon by both the French and British governments.

Separatists from Camaroon’s two English-speaking regions declared independence from the French-speaking majority in 2017, and war has been raging between the separatists and Cameroon government forces ever since.

The Ambazonian secessionist movement, fueled by grievances that include the perceived dominance of Francophone Cameroonians, seeks to secede and establish an independent Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Agitation over the past seven years has resulted in violence and widespread human rights violations.

Estimates by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reveal that over 1.7 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, the Anglophone crisis has resulted in over 6,000 deaths and displaced 765,000 people. About 70,000 of these refugees are in Nigeria, including a few in the village of Belegete.

The attack in Belegete in December left two dead, including the traditional leader, Chief Francis Ogweshi, and 20 others kidnapped.

Nigeria’s national security

As Cameroon’s clash with separatists worsens in southwestern Cameroon, the Ambazonian insurgents have moved into Nigeria.

The violent attack on the Belegete community, which followed earlier incursions in Nigeria such as the Manga village attack of November 2021, suggests a growing cross-border element to Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis.

As well as presenting a violation of territorial integrity, the incident also suggests collaboration with Nigeria’s own secessionist groups, with evidence of links between Ambazonian secessionists and the Indigenous People of Biafra.

Ambazonian insurgents are also engaged in drugs, arms and human trafficking and have brought that illegal trade across the border into Nigeria.

The incursion of Ambazonian activities has not only added to Nigeria’s security challenges. It has also intensified an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s border region, displacing thousands of people and straining the capacity of authorities to care for its internally displaced persons and refugees from neighboring countries, including Cameroon.

As of June 2023, Nigeria has an estimated 2.3 million internally displaced persons and 93,130 refugees and asylum seekers. The Belegete attack added to this by displacing the entire village of over 2,000 people, who took refuge in the neighboring village of Becheve.

Confronting the emerging threat

Nigeria’s capacity to confront the emerging Ambazonian threat is questionable, given multiple strategic, operational and tactical limitations.

The 2022 Afrobarometer working paper, which mapped states’ capacity to prepare for or respond to security threats, concludes that Nigeria – like several African states – “is widely seen to lack the necessary capacity for the physical and material security of its citizens or to command legitimacy.”

The Ambazonian separatist insurgency poses a threat not only to Cameroon and Nigeria but risks further degrading the security situation in West Africa.

The Nigerian government, undoubtedly, understands the magnitude of the security threats it faces, and its apparent limitations, and has called for assistance. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a January 2024 letter to the outgoing French ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, stressed the need for strengthened cooperation. “On regional security, we want you to remind Paris at every opportunity that it is necessary to upgrade our technical cooperation,” he wrote.

The United States has said it remains committed to assisting Nigeria. In January 2024, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Nigerian counterpart, Nuhu Ribadu, and underscored the need for continuous bilateral security cooperation.

And while Nigeria has in recent years partnered with Cameroon to ensure regional stability, the latest attack suggests a need to increase strategic cooperation between the neighboring countries to stem the growing threat.

However, countering the Ambazonian separatists and other internal security threats will remain a challenge for the Nigerian government. With a vast population and territory, security personnel are already stretched thin.

Meanwhile, the existing security apparatus in the country is compromised. The military is beset by problems, including low morale and corruption, and the national police force is perceived as largely unprofessional and corrupt.

These issues hamper Nigeria’s capacity to respond, and they undermine any attempt to counter the spiraling security threats faced by Nigeria, including the Ambazonian separatists.

Culled from The Conversation

The Ambazonia rebels fighting in southwest Cameroon for sovereignty have reportedly invaded Okwa community, in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Okwa is located at the border with Southwest Cameroon within the Gorilla Protection Unit of the Okwangwo Division of the Cross River National Park.

Two weeks ago, they took over Belegete community in Obanliku LGA, neighbouring community to Okwa, abducted over 40 natives, killed a clan head, Chief Francis Okweshi, raped women, burnt houses and occupied it for over a week.

The House of Representatives member for Ikom/Boki federal constituency, Victor Abang confirmed the invasion in a statement signed by his media aide, Simon Abang.

Abang said the continued invasion of parts of the State was a high level security threat on the country’s national boundary which must stop.

The Reps member said the latest invasion showed there was a plan by the bandits to cause mayhem in the area.

He recounted instances where the Cameroonian terrorists have made dangerous incursions into Boki LGA, saying they faced a severe security threat from them.

“On December 17, 2023, these aggressors invaded the community, causing panic by firing indiscriminately, issuing threats, and restricting locals from accessing their farmland without cause.

“This incident follows the tragic execution of Chief Ogweshi Francis Ongwele in Belegette, a neighboring community, resulting in injuries, kidnappings, and destruction of properties; this must stop,” he warned.

He said the invaders’ actions have instilled fear, leading villagers to desert their homes and become refugees in neighboring communities.

He cautioned that if prompt measures were not implemented to safeguard the borderlands, there was an impending risk of jeopardizing the lives and livelihood of Nigerians living on the borderline communities to Cameroon.

He called on President Bola Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to deploy military forces to Okwa to safeguard Nigerian territorial integrity and citizens’ lives in the area.

“Additionally, diplomatic efforts must be initiated with Cameroon for a peaceful resolution of the security challenges,” he said.

Source: Dailypost.ng

The member of the House of Representatives representing Obanliku/Bekwarra/Obudu Federal Constituency, Hon Peter Akpanke, has decried attacks by Cameroonian Ambazonian separatists on Belegete community of Obanliku local government area of Cross River State, saying it had left him in bitterness, sadness and disappointment.

Hon Akpanke stated this at a press conference in Abuja, describing the attacks as horrific. He said the attackers abducted the clan head of Belegete community, Chief Ogweshi Francis and 30 others, including women and children.

The lawmaker noted that the Belegete community is very rich in natural resources like Uranium and Lithium and this is one of the major reasons the separatists from Cameroon attacked.

He, therefore, called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to forestall more pains from being inflicted on the community by ordering relevant security agencies to mount posts across the border.

The lawmaker also called the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to swiftly provide vital assistance for those affected and the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation to include areas affected by these acts that threaten the nation as well as places where Cameroonian persons of concern reside as high priority areas.

Source: Leadership.ng

About 20,000 refugees who fled the Republic of Cameroon are presently seeking asylum in Taraba State following the crisis rocking the Nigeria North-Western and South-Western regions of the Central African country.

The Cameroonians have been camping in five local government areas of the state, including Kurmi, Gashaka, Sardauna, Takum and Ussa.

The refugees had appealed to the Taraba State and Federal Government to assist in alleviating their sufferings.

Although worried about the security crisis rocking the state, the Taraba Governor, Agbu Kefas, has assured the refugees of their safety and protection pending the return of peace in their country.

Represented by his Deputy in a recent meeting, the governor promised to do his best to foster peaceful coexistence between the two neighbours.

The meeting is expected to draw recommendations that will facilitate a seamless integration of humanitarian services to refugees and vulnerable community members in line with global best practices on refugees.

Source: Dailypost