By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Hundreds of Bakassi’s internally displaced persons, IDPs, yesterday took to the streets of Calabar with placards to protest what they alleged as intimidation by soldiers at Ikang fishing port.
The IDPs, who are basically fishermen, accused Nigerian soldiers, drafted to Ikang community in Bakassi for ‘Operation Still Water,’ of harassing, and intimidating them.
In a peaceful protest which begun at Ikot Effiom Obutong re-settlement camp and ended at Ikang Bakassi fishing port, the protesters carried placards with different inscriptions, alleging that the soldiers have brought economic hardship to them.
Their placards bore different messages, including: “We have become slaves in our mother land;” “Our children have dropped out from school because the soldiers have denied us opportunity to fish;”
“Cameroon Gerdames used to beat us if we attempt to engage in fishing in thier waters;’ “Oh the other hand, Nigerian soldiers also flog us here in our fathers land;” “United Nations and the Federal Government, please come to our aid.”
The fishermen expressed frustration and grievances over what they described as intimidation and harassment by the soldiers.
Allegations levelled against the soldiers in Bakassi include: flogging of fishermen for being in possession of petroleum products, which the IDPs claimed they use in powering their fishing boats.
Also speaking, the General Secretary, Bakassi Resettlement Camp IDPs, Mr. Linus Asuquo Essien, stressed that the returnees are passing through hard times, due to their Inability to fish, occasioned by lack of petroleum product needed to power their fishing boats.
He said, “Our children can no longer go to school. On daily basis, our community residents, who are predominantly fishmen have at regular intervals been arrested and locked up in the Cameroon Republic prisons.
“Unfortunately, non of our leaders in the house of parliament or in high place of authority had bothered to wade into the matter.
“We now go through hunger and starvation in the IDP camp due to our constant stay at home. Our major occupation is fishing, but unfortunately, we have been barred by the soldiers from going to fish.
“We have over 100 fishermen who had been arrested by the Cameroon gerdames and locked up in their prisons just because they were engaged in fishing.
“This is why are calling on the Federal Government, and the United Nations to come to our aide before we perish here. Cameroonians said we are strangers; in Nigeria, our soldiers accused us of engaging in bunkering. Where do we go from here?”
In his remarks, the Secretary General of Ikang Clan Council, Chief Essien Eyo, stated that he is still in shock and pondering how the 12 out of 14 villages that made up Ikang community, which reside in the riverine area has been barred from carrying on with their fishing activities.
The monarch expressed displeasure over what he described as callous attitude and wondered how someone can apprehend a fisherman and set his fishing equipment on fire, for no just cause.
Other allegations leveled against the soldiers in Ikang include: extortion, unnecessary intimidation, and harassment of the IDPs.
The IDPs called on the Federal Government, and the international community, to look into the inhuman treatment metted on to them before things go out of hands.
He added, “In the last 10 months, we haven’t had electricity. Yet we pay taxes. In the Cameroon, we are not allowed to fish. In our own country, where our oil wells were ceded to the neighboring Cameroon, we are like slaves.
“We have no food to eat, our kids have dropped out from school. Our boats are parked, because we lacked petrol to power our boats for fishing.
“They accused us of engaging in oil bunkering, even when there are no pipelines in Bakassi. The NNPC water fuel station that used to sell petroleum product to us now lies fallow, because we are not allowed to buy petrol for fishing.”
When contacted on telephone for a reaction, the Army Public Relations Officer, PRO, Capt. Dorcas Aluko, said that she was attending a course outside the state and cannot make any comment on the issue for now.
But a military source in Calabar, who denied the allegations said that the fishermen were only using their fishing boats to smuggle petroleum product to neighboring countries.
