Gunmen Abduct Cameroon Separatist Leader in Abuja

Cameroon’s separatist leader, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, has been abducted in Nigeria.

A statement signed by Secretary of Communications and IT, Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Chris Anu, said Tabe was abducted by “gunmen from la Republic du Cameroun at about 19:30 pm in Nera Hotels, (Ekwueme Road), Abuja Nigeria on January 5, 2018.”

The statement said the Federal Government of Nigeria had been notified of the incident and was currently investigating the situation. THISDAY could however not get official reaction on the abduction from officials of the foreign ministry or security agencies at the time of going to press.

Tabe heads the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, after the Anglophone Southern Cameroon declared independence from Republic of Cameroon, which is the francophone part of the country, last year. In November, he named a series of secretaries into the interim national government. But the declaration of independence has not been recognised by the United Nations or any country.

Abducted along with Tabe, according to the statement, were Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor, who is the chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), Dr. Fidelis Nde Che, Dr. Henry Kimeng, Prof. Awasum, Dr. Cornelius

Kwanga, Mr. Tassang Wilfred, Barrister Eyambe Elias, Dr. Ojong Okongho and Barrister Nalowa Bih.

The statement said Tabe and his team were in a “high command meeting in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria at the time the Cameroon gunmen showed up at the hotel. The meeting started at around 5pm, Nigerian time. At around 7:30pm, the gunmen came into the hotel and abducted all of them including the President.”

It also said the meeting was scheduled to discuss the Southern Cameroon's Refugee crisis in Nigeria and to galvanise relief support for housing, medical and feeding in anticipation of the approaching rainy season.

The statement called on all Southern Cameroonians to remain calm as it pursues investigations into the abduction.

“We call on Nigerian authorities to address this issue immediately and ensure that the Cameroon Government does not do any harm to them. We also call on the Nigerian authorities to investigate this threat against its sovereignty by La Republique du Cameroon.

“We call on the Nigerian government to guarantee the security of the more than 20,000 Southern Cameroonian refugees in various camps in Nigeria,” the statement further added.