‘40,000 Nigerians’ seeking asylum in Cameroon

More than 40,000 Nigerians have fled to Cameroon in search of refuge against Boko Haram, while the Cameroonian army continues its daily battles to maintain hold of its border with Nigeria.

According to BBC world radio service, more than 40,000 Nigerians have sought refuge in Cameroon so far and thousands more are expected in the coming weeks.

Thomas Fessy who went on a patrol with Cameroonian soldiers against Boko Haram reported that the army battles everyday to keep its deserted border village, Amchide, from becoming a Boko Haram “caliphate” or Islamic state.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), about 43,000 Nigerians have poured into Cameroon so far, 17,000 of them currently residing in the refugee camp in Minawao.

Adamou Moussa told BBC that when Boko Haram raids a town or a village, the militants attack with guns and knives, demanding that people convert to Islam.

Moussa, a christian who narrowly escaped two attacks with a large bullet scar and maimed left hand, explained that the sect came for him, threatening to slit his throat if he refused to become Muslim.

“To be Muslim for me is not a day’s job; I cannot become a Muslim. I have my religion,” Moussa said.

In fury, a Boko Haram fighter went for his neck but he raised his hand to protect himself, and one of his fingers was severed.

Moussa luckily escaped to Cameroon.

A Cameroonian commander said there are gunshots every day and night from the unpredictable sect.

“Every day, there are gunshots, they are there; they are turning, watching, trying to know what we are doing and how we can react.

“It’s unpredictable, Boko Haram is like a ghost.”

The situation in Amchide has prompted the Cameroonian military to dispatch more than 2,000 soldiers to the region to suppress the insurgents and their bid to cover territories in the West African country.

Though seeking asylum, 26-year-old Mariamu Ali, another refugee, has found safety and reunion after meeting up with the rest of her family in Minawao refugee camp after fleeing Gwoza, Borno state, where her husband was shot dead by Boko Haram last year.

Boko Haram is still in continuous raids to claim more towns in north-east Nigeria.