Sen. Ndume denies encroaching into Nigerian territory by Cameroonian gendarmes, says it’s communal conflicts

Senator Ali Ndume, Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, on Thursday, disputed the encroachment of Nigerian territory and the killing of citizens in Taraba State by Cameroonian gendarmes, Ambazonia soldiers, on Wednesday. The senator from Borno State said that the incursion into the Nigerian border community in Taraba State and the killings by the Ambazonia soldiers was “more of communal or tribal conflict” than an affront to Nigeria’s territorial integrity as being portrayed by the Taraba State government and the people.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha had at the Senate plenary on Wednesday, raised alarm of a threat to Nigeria’s territorial integrity by the Ambazonian soldiers from Cameroon, who invaded a community in Manga, Taraba State, killing the village head of Manga and 10 others.

The Senator, then, advocated urgent military action before the invaders occupied the Manga community.

The Ambazonian army invaded the Manga community in Takum Local Government Area, Taraba State, on Wednesday, killing a traditional ruler and 10 other persons.

Senator Ndume had insisted that the invasion of Manga community in Takum Local Government Area, Taraba State, on Wednesday, by the Ambazonian soldiers was imminent in border communities between countries.

Ndume had highlighted: “I have listened to the governor and the actual situation is more of a communal or tribal conflict that affects communities along our borders.

“…the border of Nigeria and Cameroon stretches from Taraba and even down to Cross River, up to Borno. We have several villages and towns across the borders, and they are mostly divided by rivers.”

Ndume insisted that “a stateless group” cannot attack Nigeria.

He stated further: “The details are not yet out, but this kind of clash between tribes and communities happens, not frequently, but it can happen, especially, these days for basic economic and political reasons and in rare cases religious.

“This incident is a serious one that needs to be looked into, but I don’t think it is a threat to Nigeria.”

Some stakeholders have pointed out that Ndume may, unfortunately, be fertilizing a breeding ground for the occupation of Nigerian territory in the border communities by the Cameroonian gendarmes in the same manner bandits were given wide space by the federal government at the early stage of their uprising.

They were of the view that the federal government, from the presidency to the National Assembly, devoted more time to defending the identity of the ‘bandits’, including their origin, and delayed security actions that would have curtailed the spread of their operations. Today, bandits have become a nightmare to states in northwest Nigeria. The same process, they said, happened in the Boko Haram, killer herdsmen scenarios.