Five Nigerian pastors and other residents of Idabato II, a community in Cameroon formerly known as the Bakassi Peninsula, have been arrested and detained by Cameroonian authorities following the abduction of the community’s divisional officer, Ewane Roland, in early October.
Eniola Alabo, a former chairman of the Yoruba community in the defunct Bakassi Peninsula, revealed this during an interview, explaining that the Cameroonian government blamed Nigerians in the area for the incident. “The Gendarmerie came to the community and started shooting sporadically into the air on the day they arrested some of these Nigerians,” Alabo said.
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The divisional officer, Roland, and another council official, Etongo Ismaeil, were reportedly kidnapped on October 1, 2024, by gunmen using a flying boat in the coastal area. Following this, Cameroon’s South-West Governor, Bernard Okalia, visited Idabato on October 8 and declared a total lockdown of the area, which is predominantly inhabited by Nigerian fishermen.
“All shops are closed…the churches are closed till further notice. No exit, no entry in this whole Idabato,” Okalia stated during his visit. He also issued a 72-hour ultimatum for residents to produce Roland alive. The lockdown left residents economically stranded, with Alabo noting, “They stayed at home doing nothing for three weeks. The people were hungry because their source of livelihood was put on hold.”
Defying the governor’s order, some residents resumed fishing activities in early November, prompting a deployment of Cameroonian soldiers on November 10 and 11. During this operation, several Nigerians, including Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, Idowu Ajimosun, and others, were detained.
The crackdown extended to churches, with soldiers raiding the Assembly Church of God during a Sunday service and arresting Nigerian pastors leading congregations despite the restrictions. “The names of the pastors arrested by Cameroonian soldiers that day were Adeleke Omoniye, Cascar Ubom, Etim Asuquo, Olamide Ayeye, and Umoh Atete,” Alabo said.
Johnson, a Nigerian community leader in Idabato who spoke for security reasons, expressed concern for the pastors’ safety. “The Cameroonian soldiers took the pastors away,” he said. “A few days later, we heard that they have been released, but we’ve not seen them.” The arrests and restrictions have forced many Nigerians to flee to neighboring Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in Nigeria, with Johnson adding, “The Cameroonian authorities have made life unbearable for Nigerians in Idabato.”
The lockdown also resulted in the tragic death of a Nigerian woman, Esther Okon, who bled to death after giving birth on October 20, 2024. According to a Nigerian Union executive in Idabato, Okon could not receive medical treatment as movement was restricted. “It takes only two hours by a speedboat, but if we see a flying boat, it is just 45 minutes to get her to Akwa Ibom,” the source explained. Her body was later repatriated to Nigeria after documentation with the Cameroonian authorities.
The situation in Idabato remains tense as Nigerians in the area continue to live in fear and uncertainty, with many struggling to navigate the harsh conditions imposed by the Cameroonian authorities.
