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,
Cameroonian
military sources said 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.
It was 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 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 ‘
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.
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