The chiefs of two villages in the Bakassi peninsula have been dismissed from their functions by the Senior Divisional Officer for Ndian Division after it was discovered that they had been spreading false information that 97 Nigerians were killed by gendarmes at the peninsula during a routine task drive, The Voice weekly newspaper has repoorted.
Etta Mbokaya Ashu, Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Ndian, fired the Chief Nasei Ekon of Njabame I and Chief Nyong Etim of Njabame II last Thursday after a fact finding mission to Idabato.
The SDO and the Nigerian delegation led by the Consular Assistant, A.O. Banbelo turned every stone that needed to be turned to get the truth about the purported killings of 97 Nigerians by Cameroonian gendarmes at a village in the Bakassi peninsula.
After their meeting at Ekondo Titi and a field trip to Bakassi, the fact finding mission came to the conclusion that the announced killings of 97 Nigerians in the peninsula was nothing but false and baseless.
“People who wanted to wipe sentiments went about intoxicating and giving wrong information on social media. From all interventions, we came to realise that even one person was not killed. Nothing like that happened,” SDO Mbokaya Ashu noted.
Like the SDO for Ndian, the Nigerian Consular Assistant at the Consulate in Buea argued that those who spread the allegations had the intention to poison the cordial relationship that Cameroon and Nigeria enjoy.
“What has happened today is an eloquent testimony to the robust relationship between Nigeria and Cameroon so people believe they can put a wedge between Nigeria and Cameroon relationship. From what we have had today, no Nigerian was killed. I am so glad for the collaboration between our two countries.”
Now that the allegation has been laid to rest, both the SDO for Ndian and the Nigerian official say it is now time for persons living in the peninsula especially Nigerians to respect their obligations – that of paying taxes and respecting the laws of Cameroon.
“Anywhere we find ourselves, we should be law abiding and try to conform to the rules and regulations of our host country because even back in Nigeria we have our own laws,” A.O. Banbelo appealed to his counterparts. For now, the SDO has reduced the task from FCFA 75000 to FCFA 37500.
JDC TV, Video news 
