Kidnapped Nigerian Students are Not in Cameroon- Gov’t Says

(NewsWatch Cameroon)--The Cameroon government has dismissed as unfounded, allegations that part of the 234 abducted female students of the Government Girls Secondary School recently in the North-East of the country would have been transferred to Cameroon, to be forced into marriage to members of the Islamist sect, “Boko Haram”.

Issa Tchiroma Bakary-Communication Minister

At a plenary at the Nigerian Senate on April 29, 2014, while debating on a motion by Senate Leader, Victor Noma-Egba, and 108 others on the abduction of the school girls, senators accused neighboring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad of aiding and abetting the current insurgency in Nigeria.

Cameroon’s Communication Minister and government’s official spokesperson, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, in a press declaration in Yaoounde on Monday May 5, 2014 reiterated that Cameroon will never ever serve as support base for destabilization activities towards other countries.

“On the contrary, our country suffers because of the ongoing instable security situation in neighboring countries”, the Minister said. “Cameroon is subject to attacks perpetrated from neighboring countries and by nationals of those countries”.

Minister Tchiroma reiterated the Cameroon government’s willingness to cooperate in good faith with governments of neighboring countries to fight against trans-border criminality in the respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each country.

He reassured Cameroonians that the president of the republic has given firm instructions and has urged to take all necessary measures for Cameroon to remain a peaceful and stable country.

“Our defense and security forces are working hard and watching out, so that Cameroonians and those living in the country can quietly go on with their daily business”.

Internal attacks

In the same declaration, the communication minister revealed that the 18 people taken hostage by unknown individuals on the night of May 1 to 2, 2014 in the locality of Yokofiré of the border town of Garoua Boulai in the East region, border with the Central African Republic have been freed.

“The 18 hostages were freed in two stages; first, two of them were freed on May 3 and the remaining 16 were freed on May 4”, the Minister revealed.

In another attack, the Minister said suspected members of the Islamist sect; Boko Haram attacked the Gendarmerie brigade of Kousseri in the Far North Region in the night of May 4-5, 2014.

The attack according to the Communication Minister was aimed at freeing a suspect of the sect arrested on May 3, 2014 by elements of the Cameroon defense forces during a control in the locality of Zigue, near Kousseri.

During the attack by about 30 yet to be identified men, two deaths were recorded ; a senior warrant officer of the gendarmerie on duty-Dapsia Denis and the suspect ; Ibrahim Bouba of Cameroonian nationality, while three other detainees at the same brigade were wounded.

However, the government official spokesman said Cameroon defense forces have been alerted and are now raking the surface in Kousseri and its neighborhood.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi in Yaounde