Bakassi Returnees and other Displaced Nigerian Citizens on Friday staged a peace protest along major streets in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State drawing government attention against the inhuman treatment of kinsmen by the Cameroonian government.
Led by its Coordinator, Prince Aston-Joseph Inyang, the protesters walked through major streets of Uyo and finally terminated their protest at the office of the National Human Rights Commission, along Nwaniba Road, where they lodged a formal complaint.
They carried placards of different inscriptions such as, “Bakassi people need proper resettlement”, “we want our kinsmen released from the Cameroonian prison and federal government should rise and intervene for our kinsmen among others.
The Coordinator of the group, Prince Inyang said they were out on a peaceful mission to register their grievances against the inhuman treatment of the Bakassi people by the Cameroonian government.
The Coordinator who alleged that there have been constant threats to life by the Gendarmes also said that the denial of their fishing rights in the high sea and maltreatment, led to psychological tortures and deaths of the kinsmen.
He said, “About a month ago, the Bakassi in evicted Cameroon were evicted as result of high taxation demanded by the Cameroonian authorities. Notwithstanding, some flew to came Ikang in Cross River and others flew to Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom state.
“I look at it that nobody was killed or shot by Cameroonian, the people did not attack with bullet, but why our people fled was because of their past hostile manner to our people.
“So the moment the high taxation was announced for people to pay various sums of money, our people could not guarantee their safety in the hands of the authorities”.
He said the height of the hostility was the abduction of four of their community leaders two weeks ago by the authorities, whose whereabouts are yet to be ascertained.
He called on the Commission and the federal government to put in a place a machinery to end the threats of the Cameroonians.
In his response, the state coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Tony Iyi, said the issues raised by the group were very serious issues adding that they needed to be guided on how to go about them but appealed to them to always obey the Constitution of the Cameroonians authorities in order to leave in peace.
