Hundreds of Cameroonians seek refuge in Nigeria amid political crisis

Nigeria has received about 300 Cameroonians who registered as refugees after entering the neighbouring country through the Nfum border of the southeastern Cross River State.

The head of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede said at a meeting with the Cross River State government on Monday that they are ready to ensure the safety of the refugees.

“We will respect human rights but wont allow the migrants to spoil our security situation. We will treat them with dignity. The Cameroonian government has done the same for us during the Boko Haram crisis,” he said.

He said they are prepared for the possible influx of 40,000 refugees from Cameroon as estimated by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Cameroonian regions of North West and South West are facing repression from the government since last year after mass protests against marginalization.

A violent clampdown of the protests in the English-speaking regions left several people dead, many injured and hundreds jailed.

Some of the protesters are calling for independence of the Anglophone regions.