NO fewer than 1,200 persons consisting of men, women and children, are currently taking refuge in Uyo, Esit Eket, and Oron Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State due to the lingering crisis in Cameroon. Some of the refugees who spoke to newsmen in the four local government areas of the state where they are taking refuge, lamented the acute suffering they are passing through and appealed to governments at all level for assistance to enable them properly settle down in the country.

A Cameroonian who identified herself as Miss Shalom Epolle, told newsmen at Utang Street, in Uyo LGA where over 95 Cameroonians and 210 Nigerians that migrated to that country are camping, that they are living in a very hazardous condition. “I came here on February 21, 2018, because of the crisis in Cameroon. But since I came, I have been facing the problem of feeding. We don’t have food to eat, no place to sleep, no beds. “Both men and women stay together, without privacy. No water, no toilet. The most important one is food because we can’t stay here when there is no food. We even go outside to look for jobs to do to get little money to help ourselves,” she said.

At Esit Eket,  Mrs. Glory Harrison, who said that they are over 400 refugees camping in a church, said that their challenge ranged from lack of shelter, clothing, and food. In Oron, the Chairman of the council,  Mr Anthony Etim, had arranged a temporary camp for over 500  Cameroonian refugees at the security village.

Source: www.vanguardngr.com