COAS, Kenneth Minimah |
No fewer than 300 Nigerian soldiers fled to
Cameroon when Boko Haram insurgents overran Mubi, the second largest city in
Borno State from security forces on Wednesday, SHOWBIZPLUSng has learnt.
Cameroonian military sources told our
correspondent that Nigerian soldiers fled the north-eastern part of Nigeria,
where the insurgency launched by the sect was raging, and crossed the
Nigeria-Cameroon border.
The sources also said more Nigerian troops might
have fled to other border towns in Cameroon after the Mubi attack. However, he
added that their number had yet to be ascertained.
SUNDAY PUNCH also learnt that the
deserting Nigerian soldiers would be moved away from the border areas to more
secure locations, where they would be disarmed, fed and eventually repatriated
to Nigeria.
The insurgents had taken over Mararaba Hildi,
some few kilometres to Mubi town, on Tuesday, prompting a mass exodus of
residents.
Hundreds of soldiers were said to have fled Mubi,
which hosts two universities, as insurgents made advances to take over the town
on Wednesday.
Speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday under
the condition of anonymity, a senior Cameroonian military officer involved in
the provision of welfare materials to the deserters, said, “They (Nigerian
soldiers) are mostly around Boucla village in Bourha sub-division.
“So far, we can estimate the number of arrivals
to be at about 300. These are the ones who arrived in uniform but we know that
there are several others who shed their uniforms for civilian attires.”
The Mubi rout also forced thousands of Nigerian
civilians to hit border villages in Cameroon in Benoue and Mayo Louti
Divisions, and around Gachiga town.
It was, however, learnt that Cameroonian
government was worried about the increasing number of refugees and where to
keep them.
The relocation of Nigerian refugees was said to
have become necessary as insurgents had previously attacked locations where
fleeing Nigerian soldiers were housed.
Protests by indigenes of the border towns over
attacks on the camps were said to have forced the Cameroonian government to
adopt a policy of moving deserters far away from the border and out of the
reach of Boko Haram.
It was further learnt that Cameroon had begun
screening of deserters and refugees to prevent infiltration by insurgents.
“This time around, we are conducting a more
thorough screening to avoid letting in Boko Haram infiltrators, who are known
to inhabit the ranks of the Nigerian military,” an official of the Cameroonian
government had told our correspondent in confidence.
Another Cameroonian military officer, who
insisted on anonymity, expressed fears over possible infiltration of the
country’s system through the refugee camps. He declined to give further details
on how the screening was being conducted.
He said, “Taking them in is not something to make
noise about. You and I know that we are in a military situation here. This is a
war zone with Boko Haram spies crawling all over the place.
“The number we take and where we take them are
obviously a military intelligence affair and nobody can give you that
information, even if you were to approach the authorities in Yaounde.”
In a related development, SUNDAY PUNCH
learnt that Boko Haram had been cultivating and recruiting local fighters among
Cameroonian youths.
The sect is operating cells that have been in
operation in Cameroon for over three years, recruiting through what a source
described as “financial enticement and intimidation.”
Community leaders in the Far North region says
thousands of Cameroonian youths had joined the ranks of Boko Haram since the
beginning of the year.
“These are mostly young unemployed Cameroonians
lured by handsome financial proposals by Boko Haram point men. Other Boko Haram
sleeper cells are run by senior Islamists intimidated into doing the bidding of
the sect,” one of the traditional leaders in the area, who refused to have his
name in print, told our correspondent.
Recruitment of youths by the sect is said to be
gaining ground in Cameroon and other neighbouring countries, raising fears that
the activities of the insurgents might spread to other parts of West-African
sub-region.
The sect had abducted seven members of the
Fournier family from France in Cameroon in 2013. They were later released after
a huge amount of money was reportedly paid as ransom.
Senior military sources confirmed that some
high-ranking Boko Haram members arrested in Cameroon were exchanged for the
release of the wife of the Cameroonian Vice-Prime Minister, Ahmadou Ali, and 16
members of his family who were abducted in Kolofata on July 27, as well as 10
Chinese road workers abducted in Waza in April, 2014.
In another related development, top Cameroonian
military officials have insisted there is a close cooperation between the
Nigerian and Cameroonian armies.
Information on the total number of Boko Haram
insurgents detained in Cameroon has been classified as military intelligence.
However, it was learnt that the Cameroonian
military had invited their Nigerian counterparts to interrogate Boko Haram
suspects, Abakar Ali alias Mustapha Umar, Mahamat Ali and Issiaka Guere, who
were arrested on September 23, 2014.
Other suspected members of the sect in detention,
who include Cameroonians, will be tried by a special military tribunal in
Yaounde, Cameroon, it was learnt.
“We cannot tell you their numbers now because
investigations are still going on. When the investigations will be completed,
there is the possibility that some of the people being held now on suspicion of
being members of Boko Haram might be found to be innocent.
“Others would surely be finally identified as
Cameroonians. The decision as to the fate of those found to be foreigners will
be taken after the conclusion of the investigations. But I must tell you that
besides Cameroonians and Nigerians, there are also members of Boko Haram from
other neighbouring countries, which names we cannot cite now”, an official
involved in the investigation disclosed.
However, the Cameroonian authorities are said to
be reluctant on the repatriation of suspected leaders of the sect in their
detention, as they might return to the battlefield should they escape
When our correspondent contacted the Director of
Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, for his reaction to the issue,
he said he would not comment on it.
“I won’t comment on that,” he said.
In August, the Cameroonian Army Spokesman,
Lt.-Col. Didier Badjek, had said Nigerian troops had fled to Cameroon after
intense fighting with Boko Haram.
But Olukolade, had refuted the desertion claim,
saying the soldiers merely strayed into Cameroon.
While Cameroonian authorities said over 700
Nigerian soldiers fled Boko Haram advances into Cameroon, Nigerian authorities
had insisted that only 480 went into Cameroonian territory on “technical
manoeuver.”
In recent times, Nigerian military have been
battling with mutiny and have set up court martials to try soldiers who fled
from battle.
On August 27, the military leadership arrested
several soldiers, who deserted the army. The arrested soldiers came from
different battalions.
A month after, the Defence Headquarters announced
that another set of 60 soldiers would be arraigned before a General Court
Martial by military authorities in Abuja on October 2 for mutiny. The soldiers
allegedly committed mutiny on August 4, 2014 by refusing to join troops in
Maiduguri for “an operation.”
Their arraignment which was to take place at the
Sani Abacha Barracks in Abuja came as some of the 12 soldiers convicted on
September 15, 2014 by the GCM notified the Court of Appeal of their intention
to challenge their sentences.
The GCM headed by Brig. Gen. C. Okonkwo had
sentenced 12 out of 18 soldiers found guilty of mutiny among other offences to
death. Five of them were discharged and acquitted and one sentenced to 28 days’
imprisonment with hard labour and reprimand.
Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment