The House of Representatives has raised the alarm that Cameroonian Refugees in Benue state have obtained the Nigerian Identity Number (NIN), thereby making them now Nigerians without formal proclamation and also demanding voting rights.
To this end, the Green Chamber directed the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons to look into the Cameroonian refugee situation with a view to either resettling them permanently within Nigeria or relocating them to their communities.
The decision of the House followed the adoption of a motion on the need for urgent intervention in the Nigeria – Cameroon refugee crisis, banditry and environmental pollution arising from the discovery and mining of gold in Kwande Local Government of Benue State, moved at the plenary of Tuesday by Hon. Terseer Ugbor.
Moving the motion, the lawmaker said Kwande Local Government borders Cameroon on the North, Cross River to the East and Taraba to the West.
He lamented that the local government has suffered violent attacks termed as farmers-herders clashes leaving many indigenes either dead, badly injured or homeless, and without farmlands and a source of livelihood for over 10 years, especially the people of Turan and Ikyurav-ya districts.
Ugbor stressed that over the past few days, 16 persons have been killed along the Ugbema – Jato Aka road due to the internal crisis between neighbouring communities.
He added that to make matters worse, the Cameroonian Anglophone crisis between the Cameroonian military and the Separatist Ambazonian fighters spilled over and created a refugee crisis at the Nigerian-Cameroon border in Kwande Local Government.
The lawmaker noted that in 2018, the federal government officially recognised the Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria and established a refugee camp in partnership with the United Nations and other agencies.
Ugbor pointed out that the Cameroonian refugees who were first in Menev ward and now moved to Ikyogen cattle ranch have lived there for over 5 years with their population now exceeding 12,000 as they continue to procreate, expand and integrate into Nigeria society.
He said: “Many of these refugees have obtained the Nigerian Identity Number (NIN) ID Card thereby making them now Nigerians without formal proclamation, they now seek voting rights to be allowed to vote and be voted for.
“Also Aware that over the last several years another dimension to the insecurity in Benue and particularly in Kwande local government has been the discovery of Gold, Lithium and other precious minerals.
“The influx of local and foreign illegal miners infiltrating the region has caused daily security unrest, environmental pollution and possible food crisis as most able-bodied young men and women have abandoned their farmlands for mining sites. If this trend is left unchecked, Benue will become the next banditry hotspot just like the case of Zamfara State over the last several years due to the illegal gold mining.”
Ugbor said the people of Kwande have cried out to the authorities for support and succour but little help seems to come their way as so many lives have been lost and business activities suspended leading to massive drop in trade and Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) for the communities and Benue state;
He stressed that the Nigerian-Cameroonian international border through Kwande Local Government had been approved with the potential to enhance trade between the neighbouring countries and create massive economic activities, but with the discovery of precious minerals and the clashes between Cameroonian and Nigerian communities have begun to escalate due to the rush to own these precious minerals, adding to the already volatile security situation in the area.
The House urged, “the National Security Adviser alongside the Security Agencies to review the security situation within the region and the Nigerian-Cameroonian Border areas in Benue and to implement urgent and proactive steps to curb further deterioration of the peace and security in the region.”
The House encouraged the Nigerian Immigration and Nigerian Customs Service to establish an international border post and necessary infrastructure to enhance commerce and trade between the countries.