Five Nigerian pastors and several other residents have been detained by Cameroonian authorities in the Idabato II community of Cameroon, formerly known as the Bakassi Peninsula, following the kidnapping of the area’s Divisional Officer, Ewane Roland, in early October 2024.
A former chairman of the Yoruba community in the region, Eniola Alabo, shared the details in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH.
Alabo revealed that Roland and another official, Etongo Ismaeil, were abducted on October 1 by gunmen who used a flying boat to carry out the kidnapping along the coastal area.
The Cameroonian government swiftly blamed Nigerians residing in the community for the crime.
In retaliation, Cameroonian forces launched a violent raid, targeting the Nigerian population.
Alabo recalled that soldiers from the Gendarmerie entered the community, firing sporadically into the air, which caused widespread panic.
The raid led to the detention of several Nigerians, including Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, Idowu Ajimosun, Abiola Ajimosun, Blessing Ajimosun, Sunny Bassey, Feran Samagbeyi, and Godwin.
The tension escalated when Cameroon’s South-West Governor, Bernard Okalia, imposed a total lockdown on Idabato II on October 8, 2024.
Okalia’s decree banned all movement in and out of the area, halting the livelihoods of the community’s predominantly Nigerian fishermen.
“All shops are closed… the churches are closed till further notice. No exit, no entry in this whole Idabato,” Okalia declared during his visit.
For over three weeks, the community faced extreme hardship, with many residents remaining idle due to the lockdown.
Alabo recounted the struggles of his compatriots, saying that the lack of movement led to hunger and frustration.
Despite the lockdown, locals defied the governor’s orders in early November, returning to their fishing activities, a move that further angered the Cameroonian authorities.
On November 10 and 11, soldiers returned to the community, shooting into the air and causing injuries to several Nigerians.
Among the arrested individuals were pastors from the Assembly Church of God in Idabato II.
Cameroonian soldiers raided the church on a Sunday, detaining five Nigerian pastors—Adeleke Omoniye, Cascar Ubom, Etim Asuquo, Olamide Ayeye, and Umoh Atete—for allegedly violating the ban on public gatherings.
One local leader, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, expressed grave concern for the pastors’ safety, noting that they had been taken to undisclosed locations.
Although some reports suggested they were eventually released, their whereabouts remained uncertain, and the situation prompted many Nigerians to flee to neighboring communities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
In the midst of these tensions, tragedy struck. On October 20, 2024, Esther Okon, a Nigerian woman in labor, tragically died due to complications after childbirth.
The lack of medical assistance—caused by the lockdown—was cited as a major factor in her death.
Okon had been in laboiur since October 19, but her condition worsened without the possibility of being transported to a hospital across the border in Nigeria.
Despite being only a short distance away—two hours by speedboat—Okon’s death marked a somber moment in the community, highlighting the dire consequences of the restrictions imposed by the Cameroonian authorities.
The Cameroonian government has also been at odds with the Nigerian residents over tax issues. Local leaders, including Johnson, a key figure in the Idabato community, noted that accusations of tax evasion by Nigerians were unfounded.
He provided receipts showing that the taxes were indeed being paid, which some local officials had apparently failed to properly account for.
Efforts by Nigerian nationals to seek diplomatic intervention have proven futile. Alabo mentioned his visit to the Consulate-General of Cameroon in Nigeria, where his efforts to meet with the consulate’s officials were unsuccessful.
The Nigerian Union in Idabato also lamented the lack of support from both the Nigerian government and its consular offices.
The Nigerian government, through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has distanced itself from the issue, stating that it falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, NiDCOM clarified that its mandate pertains to individual Nigerians in the diaspora, and the case at hand involves intergovernmental matters between Nigeria and Cameroon.
The Bakassi Peninsula, which was awarded to Cameroon by the International Court of Justice in 2002, has been a contentious area for decades.
Although the land was officially ceded to Cameroon under the Greentree Agreement of 2006, many Nigerians still regard it as their ancestral home.
Approximately 50,000 Nigerians, including Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Efik communities, continue to live in Idabato II, maintaining strong cultural ties to the land.
Despite the ongoing conflict, the situation in Idabato remains unresolved, with Nigerian residents caught in the middle of diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
The uncertainty of their future in the region continues to loom, as many are left with no recourse but to endure the hardships imposed by both the lockdown and the actions of Cameroonian forces.
