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, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
Cameroonian
military sources told our correspondent 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.
SUNDAY PUNCH
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 to SUNDAY PUNCH
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 had
told our correspondent in confidence.
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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