About 2,305 refugees from Cameroon have crossed to Nigeria and are now in Gembu town, headquarters of Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State. This came when the Taraba State government was making effort to repatriate more than 6,000 refugees from Cameroon who fled in the wake of the recent Mambilla and Fulani crisis in the Mambilla Plateau area of the state.

The refugees are in two categories-the Cameroon nationals who fled in the wake of the clampdown on protesters in Southern Cameroons and Nigerians who were doing business in that country.

We gathered that there are 305 refugees who are Ambazonia nationals that crossed into Gembe town and are mostly women and children. Some 2,000 Nigerians who are indigenes of Sardauna Local Government Area previously living in Cameroon returned home in the wake of the crisis. Both the refugees and the returnees, it was gathered, are Kambo, Pamso and Mambilla tribes.

A refugee, Madam Rejoice Mandu, told hinted that her husband was arrested by security operatives in Cameroon and taken to Yaounde a few weeks ago. She said since the strike by teachers, lawyers and transporters started in the Southern Cameroons last year security operative had been harassing, intimidating and detaining their husbands.

Another refugee and mother of four, Ramatu Musa, said her husband was arrested by gendarmes and taken to an unknown location and she had to escape to avoid harassment.  Most of the refugees who crossed to Nigeria from Sabon Gari, Ndoy and Kambe in Cameroon trekked for many days before reaching Gembu.  305 refugees from Cameroon were registered, mostly women and children.

Source: Daily Trust