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Cameroonian Soldiers’ Invasion: Senate Summons Defence Minister
The Senate has summoned the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, to explain the alleged invasion of communities in Cross River State by Cameroonian military forces.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly also resolved to call on the Nigeria’s military authorities to increase military presence and intensify border patrol within the area “to prevent further acts of trespass by the Cameroonian soldiers.”
The move followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senator John Enoh (Cross River-Central), entitled, ‘Influx of Refugees from the Republic of Cameroon to Some Border Communities in Cross River State and Its Attendant Security Fallout.’
The motion had Senators Rose Oko (Cross River-North) and Gershom Bassey (Cross River-South) as co-sponsors.
Moving the motion, Enoh said on January 25, 2018, “more than 80 Cameroonian soldiers with various weapons crossed the international border of the Danare-Daddi/Danare-Bodom axis and abducted five natives.”
He said, “The Senate observes that this is a calculated assault and offence from the Cameroonian military on Nigeria and an outright defiance to Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty, not minding the consequences of crossing the international boundary to carry out intimidations and harassment on the already alarmed citizens of Danare, with warnings of further assault.
“The Senate is worried that the current situation being faced by both the refugees and host border communities, if not tackled urgently, may result in both an outbreak of epidemic and a serious humanitarian crisis and further escalate the already troubling security situation along these borders.”
Enoh also alleged that the current agitations for the independence of Southern Cameroon had caused influx of refugees into some border communities in Cross River State with “over 6,000” of the refugees currently squatting at the Obanliku, Boki, Etung and Ikom local government areas of the state.
He recalled that as of December 16, 2017, the United Nations Human Rights Commission had biometrically registered 10,000 arrivals in remote areas of Cross River State, and indicated that thousands more were awaiting registration.
Other prayers unanimously granted by the lawmakers included to call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, to “urgently liaise with his Cameroonian counterpart to secure the release of these innocent Nigerians.”
They also called on Nigeria and Cameroon to strengthen the capacity of Nigeria-Cameroon trans-border security committee aimed at addressing emerging trans-border security issues confronting the two countries.
The Senate further called on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to intensify ongoing efforts aimed at protecting the Cameroonian refugees and assist in their voluntary repatriation, integration and resettlement.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly also urged all relevant agencies of government saddled with the responsibility of managing emergencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), states’ emergency management agency to intensify their remedial efforts of providing relief materials to the refugees.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.