Southern Cameroon agitators condemn Nigerian govt for arresting, detaining their leaders

A Group from the region of Southern Cameroon, who want to secede from the country to form Republic of Ambazonia, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to release their leaders in the custody of Nigerian security operatives.

Noting that Ambazonians are not separatists or secessionists, the group said they are freedom fighters in the order of Nkrumah, Lumumba, Awolowo, Azikiwe, John Garang, Nyerere among others, adding, that what they are fighting against was the colonization by La Republique du Cameroun.

Nigerian Defence Intelligence Agency, was said to have on January 5, arrested the leaders of the group after they crossed the border into Nigeria for a meeting and had since kept them it its custody.

Earlier in October 27, the southern region of Cameroon, who are Anglophone and led Julius Tabe, had pronounced the area as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

However, following the arrest of the leaders of the group, international bodies such as Amnesty International have warned Nigerian government against extraditing them to Cameroon.

And the Ambazonia’s Secretary for Communication and Information Technology, Chris Anu, in a statement made available to newsmen frowned at the silent posture of the Nigerian government since their leaders were arrested in the country.

The statement read, “The Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia (the former British Southern Cameroons), notes with dismay, the fact that since abducted at gunpoint on January 5th, 2018, the President, Julius Ayuk Tabe and 10 other members of his Cabinet have not been granted access to any lawyers and family members by the Nigerian Government which we are now aware that in complicity with the Cameroon regime in Yaoundé, engineered their abduction.

“We condemn vehemently, the fact that the Nigerian government, more than a week after the abductions, has not as much considered a press statement on the abductions even when the majority of those abducted are duly registered refugees in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is a signatory to International conventions on human rights, and to be acting recklessly as it is doing in this case, is a bridge of those conventions.

“The Interim Government IG, of Ambazonia calls on the Nigerian authorities to immediately effect the unconditional release of our President and the 10 others abducted along with him on January 5th.

“We are demanding for the immediate and unconditional release of: Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor, Dr. Fidelis Nde Che, Dr. Henry Kimeng, Prof. Che Awasum, Dr. Cornelius Kwanga, Mr. Tassang Wilfred, Dr. Ojong Okonghor, Barrister Nalowa Bih, Barrister Shufai Blaise Berinyuh and Barrister Eyambe Elias.

“We like to bring to the attention of the Nigerian Government, and the world at large the fact that these victims abducted in the guise of fomenting trouble in the nation of Cameroon are not Cameroonians. They are Ambazonians. And as long as the Cameroon Government continues the military occupation, assault, rape, killings and the savagery on property in the Ambazonian territory, our resolve to launch a campaign aimed at economic divestment in la Republic du Cameroun will not relent.

“We will target foreign companies that do business in La Republique du Cameroun and whose revenue supports Mr. Paul Biya’s corrupt and inefficient functionaries. It is time for Western Governments to pass a Cameroon Divestment Act that will force their governments to cut investment ties with companies doing business in La Republique du Cameroun. But if they don’t, our actions will definitely force them to do so.

“The Interim Government will like to make this clarification; The Cameroon crisis isn’t about secessionists or separatists, as is being widely reported. Ours is rather a classic problem of a failed decolonization from British colonial rule.

“If Britain had granted Southern Cameroons independence like all other colonial powers did to their territories, this problem would not be here now. So let it be made plain and clear, Ambazonians are not separatists or secessionists, we are freedom fighters in the order of Nkrumah, Lumumba, Awolowo, Azikiwe, John Garang, Nyerere etc., fighting colonization by La Republique du Cameroun.

READ ALSO: OHANAEZE: Cattle colonies amount to internal colonization, we reject it

“The Union between La Republique du Cameroun and the Southern Cameroons was never consummated,” the statement said.

Speaking further the statement noted that “The IG of Ambazonia will continue worldwide campaigns for Southern Cameroons’ right to self-determination and continuous nonviolent protest within Cameroon until our dream of a completely free and independent Ambazonia is achieved. Nothing less.

“Abducting our leaders isn’t going to deter us, it will only just spur us the more. And killing, arrest, torture, rape and even a hundred thousand more refugees will not deter our resolve.

“We have battled the injustice forced upon us by the British Government for 56 years. If the International Community thinks we are now ready to let go at this juncture, it is mistaken. If the UN, EU, Commonwealth, the AU, the US and British governments want to stop a bloodbath in Cameroon, THE TIME IS NOW, not tomorrow. Every one of us, eight million Ambazonians will be killed before our territory will be made part of Cameroun again.”

The arrest of the leaders of the group came after a delegation from President Paul Biya visited Nigeria authorities apparently to strengthen both countries’ diplomatic relationship.

 

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