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Why Cameroonian Authorities Detained Five Nigerian Pastors – Sources

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Five Nigerian pastors and others residing in the Idabato II community of Cameroon, formerly known as the Bakassi Peninsula, have been arrested and detained by the Cameroonian authorities.

Their detention followed the kidnap of the community’s Divisional Officer, Ewane Roland, by armed men in early October.

A former chairman of the Yoruba community in the defunct Bakassi Peninsula, Eniola Alabo, disclosed this to The PUNCH during an interview.

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Local media had reported that Roland, alongside another official of the council, Etongo Ismaeil, was whisked away on October 1, 2024, by gunmen who used a flying boat in the coastal area.

According to Alabo, the Cameroonian government blamed Nigerians in the area for Roland’s abduction and deployed soldiers to arrest them.

The Gendarmerie came to the community and started shooting sporadically into the air on the day they arrested some of these Nigerians,” Alabo said.

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The man explained that his compatriots in the troubled community called and explained that the incident had plunged them into panic and anxiety in the border town.

During the raid, some Nigerians, including Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, Idowu Ajimosun, Abiola Ajimosun, Blessing Ajimosun, Sunny Bassey, Feran Samagbeyi, and Godwin were detained in Idabato II.

Governor locks down community

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It was gathered that Cameroon’s South-West Governor, Bernard Okalia, visited Idabato on October 8, 2024.

He was said to have declared a total lockdown of the area, which had mostly Nigerians who were fishermen.

READ ALSO: FG Sacks Benue University Of Health’s Pro-chancellor Over Alleged Misconduct

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Okalia was said to have issued a 72-hour ultimatum to both Nigerians and Cameroonians in the community to produce Roland alive.

A clip of the visit, obtained by The PUNCH, showed him saying, “All shops are closed…the churches are closed till further notice. No exit, no entry in this whole Idabato.”

Alabo said Nigerians in the community were rendered economically handicapped, leading to hunger and frustration.

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Residents, however, reportedly defied the governor’s order in the first week of November to go about their fishing business.

“They stayed at home doing nothing for three weeks. The people were hungry because their source of livelihood was put on hold. They had to go out to eat,” Alabo said.

The action was said to have angered the Cameroonian authorities, who deployed soldiers in Idabato on the 10th and 11th of November 2024 to arrest Nigerians in the community.

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According to Alabo, the soldiers invaded the community and started shooting sporadically in the air, which made many Nigerians suffer varying degrees of injury.

Pastors arrested

During the lockdown imposed on Nigerians in Idabato II, churches were also locked.

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But when Nigerians began attending to their normal activities, churches also opened on Sunday to Christians.

“Some soldiers invaded the Assembly Church of God in the area and arrested the Nigerian pastors there because they were told not to engage in any activities,” the Bakassi Peninsula ex-leader said.

“The names of the pastors arrested by Cameroonian soldiers that day were Adeleke Omoniye, Cascar Ubom, Etim Asuquo, Olamide Ayeye, and Umoh Atete.”

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Buttressing the claims, one of the Nigerian leaders in Idabato, who identified himself as Johnson for security reasons, said the lives of the pastors were in danger.

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Johnson said the pastors were whisked away by the Cameroonian soldiers to unknown places.

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“The Cameroonian soldiers took the pastors away,” Johnson said. “A few days later, we heard that they have been released, but we’ve not seen them.”

The source also said the incident forced many people to relocate to neighbouring communities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River.

“We are in panic,” the source revealed. “The Cameroonian authorities have made life unbearable for Nigerians in Idabato. We have all the major tribes of Nigeria here. We have Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Efik, and other people.”

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Woman dies

During the lockdown, a Nigerian woman, Esther Okon died after giving birth to a baby on the 20th of October, 2024.

Okon reportedly bled to death after giving birth as she could not receive any medical treatment from the hospital.

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One of the executives of the Nigerian Union in Idabato, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed this, adding that the woman had been in labour since 19th October.

The source said Okon would not have died if she had been transported to Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State but there was no movement.

“It takes only two hours by a speedboat but if we see a flying boat, it is just 45 minutes to get her to Akwa Ibom,” the source said.

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Confirming the incident, another Nigerian man, who claimed to be Okon’s husband’s friend and did not disclose his identity for security reasons, said her corpse was repatriated to Nigeria after some documents were signed with the Cameroonian authorities.

“The corpse was taken to Ibaka in Nigeria after her husband signed some papers with the Cameroonian government,” the source said.

Tax payments

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One of the problems causing conflicts between the Cameroonian authorities and Nigerians in Idabato is the payment of taxes.

The authorities had accused Nigerian nationals in Idabato of evading taxes but proof of adherence to the payment of taxes was shown to them on many occasions, Johnson said.

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“We have documents like receipts issued to us as evidence after the payments of taxes. It is called global tax collected annually,” the source added.

The PUNCH gathered that some of the taxes might not have been remitted to appropriate quarters.

Failed interventions

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When asked about the possible intervention of the offices of Consulate-Generals of the two West African countries, the Nigerian nationals said their efforts had not yielded results.

“I have gone to the office of the Consulate-General of Cameroon in Nigeria, but nothing happened. I was not allowed to see the woman. I learned that she is a new person appointed,” Alabo said.

All efforts to reach the Consulate-General of Cameroon in Nigeria were futile as both numbers and email addresses on their website appeared dormant as of the time of filing this report.

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NiDCOM reaction

Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission disclosed to The PUNCH that the matter was for the consular division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle.

While explaining why it was not in the jurisdiction of the NiDCOM, the commission’s Head of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun said the issue now involved Nigeria and Cameroon.

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“NiDCOM only engages in matters relating to Nigerian individuals in the diaspora,” Balogun said. “This case is between two governments. It should be handled by the consular office.”

“Moreover, I am not aware of the incident,” NiDCOM spokesman added.

The efforts to reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the issue did not yield result as the number was not connecting.

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A message was sent to the email address of the ministry but there was no response as of the time of filing this report.

In 2002, the International Court of Justice awarded the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

On June 12, 2006, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Cameroonian President Paul Biya signed the Greentree Agreement, which outlined the withdrawal of Nigerian troops and transfer of authority.

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Some Nigerians left the community to move to the coastal areas belonging to Nigerian states namely Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

Meanwhile, about 50,000 Nigerians are still residents of the Bakassi Peninsula, claiming that the now Idabato community remains their ancestral home despite being under the control of Cameroon.
PUNCH

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Netanyahu’s Plane Takes Unusual Route To UN Summit

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane took an unusual route to New York on Thursday, skirting several European countries en route to the United Nations General Assembly.

Although France had authorised Israeli use of its airspace, according to a French diplomatic source who spoke to AFP, flight-tracking data showed Netanyahu’s aircraft instead took a southern path.

It crossed Greece and Italy, then veered south through the Strait of Gibraltar before heading across the Atlantic.

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READ ALSO:Netanyahu Has Become ‘A Problem’, Says Danish PM

Britain, France and Portugal were among a string of countries to recognise a Palestinian state this week, a move Netanyahu bitterly opposes. Ireland and Spain announced their recognition in May.

Israeli media, meanwhile, reported that the detour by Netanyahu’s plane was intended to avoid countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, which could enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in case of an emergency landing.

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The ICC in November issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

READ ALSO:Fresh World Trouble Looms As Netanyahu Tells Western Leaders ‘There Will Be No Palestinian State’

Spain last week announced it would support the ICC investigation and had set up a team to probe alleged human rights violations in Gaza, as part of its broader push to pressure Israel to end the war.

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Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Friday. He is also slated to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week.

AFP

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Japan Scraps ‘Africa Hometown’ Project After Visa Confusion

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The Japan International Cooperation Agency has cancelled its ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ initiative, citing “misunderstandings and confusion” over the programme.

JICA announced the withdrawal in a statement on its website on Thursday, weeks after reports claimed Japan would create a special visa category for Nigerians who wished to relocate to Kisarazu, a city designated as “hometown” to Nigerians and other Africans under the scheme.

On August 26, the Japanese government denied the visa plan after the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, issued a statement relaying that Japan would introduce a “special visa category” for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu to live and work.

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Clarifying its position, JICA said the use of the term “hometown” and the idea of “designating” Japanese municipalities as such led to “misunderstandings and confusion within Japan, placing an excessive burden on the four municipalities.”

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The statement read, “Originally, under this initiative, it was envisioned that exchange programs would be coordinated and implemented among the Japanese local governments, relevant African countries, and JICA. The specific details were to be determined later.

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“However, JICA believes that the very nature of this initiative—namely, the term “hometown” and the fact that JICA would ‘designate’ Japanese local Governments as “hometowns”—led to misunderstandings and confusion within Japan, placing an excessive burden on the four municipalities. JICA sincerely apologizes to the municipalities involved for causing such situation.

“JICA takes this situation seriously. After consulting with all parties involved, JICA has decided to withdraw the “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative.”

The initiative was launched in August during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development with the goal of promoting exchanges between four Japanese municipalities and four African countries through cultural and educational programmes.

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JICA, however, stressed that it had never undertaken initiatives to promote immigration and has “no plans to do so in the future,” adding that it would continue supporting other forms of international exchange.

In August, confusion arose after the State House announced that Japan had designated Kisarazu city as the “hometown” for Nigerians and would introduce a special visa category for young, skilled Nigerians wishing to live and work there.

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However, the Japanese government quickly dismissed the claim.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan clarified that while the JICA Africa Hometown initiative aimed to promote cultural and developmental exchanges between selected African countries and four Japanese cities, it did not involve immigration benefits or special visas.

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The clarification came after Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, publicly received a certificate naming the city the “hometown” of Nigerians, further fuelling reports of migration opportunities.

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17 African Countries Back Electricity Reforms—World Bank

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The World Bank said seventeen African governments have committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of Mission 300, an ambitious partnership led by the lender and the African Development Bank Group that aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

The lender said in a statement on Wednesday that governments from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, and Togo endorsed National Energy Compacts at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum.

The Bank described the compacts as policy blueprints intended to guide public spending, drive reforms, and attract private investment, while serving as a model for the rest of the world.

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Nigeria was not part of the latest group; it had joined earlier this year alongside Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Collectively, those countries pledged more than 400 policy actions to strengthen utilities, reduce investor risk, and remove bottlenecks.

READ ALSO:World Bank Appoints Africa’s Richest Man, Dangote

Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth.

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“That’s why Mission 300 is more than a target; it is forging enduring reforms that slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in private investment,” World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said.

Since the launch of Mission 300, 30 million people have already been connected, with more than 100 million in the pipeline.

African Development Bank Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah said, “Reliable, affordable power is the fastest multiplier for small and medium enterprises, agro-processing, digital work, and industrial value-addition.
“Give a young entrepreneur power, and you’ve given them a paycheck,” he added.

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National Energy Compacts are at the core of Mission 300, developed and endorsed by governments with technical support from development partners. Tailored to each country’s context, these practical blueprints integrate three core tracks: infrastructure, financing, and policy.

The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group are working with partners, including the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Sustainable Energy for All, and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program trust fund, to align efforts in support of powering Africa. Many development partners and development finance institutions are also supporting Mission 300 projects through co-financing and technical assistance.

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President of Botswana, Duma Boko, said, “This National Compact is our shared pledge to ensure accessible, reliable and affordable energy as a basic human need, to transform our economy and create jobs, and to electrify our journey to an inclusive high-income country.”

President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya, said, “The government of the Republic of Cameroon is committed, through its Energy Compact, to a determined transition towards renewable energies, promoting inclusive universal access and sustainable development based on partnerships and ambitious reforms to build a low-carbon future.”

READ ALSO:Police Restores Peace After Bomb Explosion Rocks Imo Community

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President of the Union of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, noted, “The Comoros Energy Compact is a call for collective action to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, to ensure the country’s emergence in dignity, equity, and shared progress.”

President of Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, noted, “Our National Energy Compact exemplifies Ethiopia’s unwavering dedication to ensuring universal, affordable, and sustainable energy access for all.

“By unlocking our vast renewable resources and strengthening regional interconnections, we aim to foster inclusive growth domestically and propel Africa’s collective momentum toward ending energy poverty. Together, we are committed to building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable energy future for generations to come.”

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