Five Nigerian pastors, along with others residing in the Idabato II community of Cameroon (formerly the Bakassi Peninsula), have been arrested and detained by Cameroonian authorities following the abduction of the community’s Divisional Officer, Ewane Roland, by armed men in early October.
Eniola Alabo, a former chairman of the Yoruba community in the former Bakassi Peninsula, confirmed the arrests. Roland, along with another official, Etongo Ismaeil, was kidnapped on October 1, 2024, by gunmen using a flying boat in the coastal area. Alabo stated that the Cameroonian government blamed Nigerians in the area for the abduction, leading to the deployment of soldiers to arrest them. During the operation, the Gendarmerie fired shots into the air, causing panic among the community members.
Among those detained during the raid were Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, Idowu Ajimosun, Abiola Ajimosun, Blessing Ajimosun, Sunny Bassey, Feran Samagbeyi, and Godwin. In response to the kidnapping, Cameroon’s South-West Governor, Bernard Okalia, visited Idabato on October 8, 2024, declaring a lockdown of the area and giving a 72-hour ultimatum to both Nigerians and Cameroonians to produce Roland alive. Local sources reported that the lockdown had a significant economic impact, leading to hunger and frustration, as many residents were dependent on fishing for their livelihood. Despite the lockdown, some residents resumed fishing activities, which angered Cameroonian authorities, prompting the deployment of soldiers who began shooting sporadically, causing injuries among the Nigerians.
On the day churches resumed normal activities, soldiers raided the Assembly Church of God and arrested Nigerian pastors including Adeleke Omoniye, Cascar Ubom, Etim Asuquo, Olamide Ayeye, and Umoh Atete. A source identified as Johnson confirmed that the pastors were taken to an undisclosed location, and while there were reports of their release, they had not been seen again. Many Nigerians in the community subsequently fled to neighbouring areas in Nigeria due to the escalating tension.
During the lockdown, a Nigerian woman, Esther Okon, tragically died after giving birth on October 20, 2024, because she could not access medical treatment due to the movement restrictions. Okon had been in labour for several days before her death, and local sources explained that had she been able to reach a nearby hospital in Nigeria, she could have survived.
One of the ongoing issues between the Nigerian residents and Cameroonian authorities is tax payments. Despite showing proof of tax payments, such as receipts for the annual global tax, Nigerian nationals have been accused of tax evasion, adding to the tension.
Efforts by Nigerian nationals to seek intervention from the Nigerian Consulate-General in Cameroon and other diplomatic channels have been unsuccessful. The Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) stated that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has yet to comment on the situation.
Since the 2002 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, tensions have remained high. While some Nigerians relocated to neighboring coastal areas of Nigeria, about 50,000 Nigerians still reside in the area, claiming it as their ancestral home despite its current control by Cameroon.
