By Sah Terence ANIMBOM in Mamfe.
Following the September 22 demonstrations that turned deadly in Mamfe, the Cameroon-Nigeria border has been closed since September 27, 2017 causing untold suffering and loses to businesses doing cross-border trade in that part of the country.
Talking to a businessman from Nigeria at the border who has been greatly affected by the border closure, he told The Sun that prior to the closure, Cameroonians had successfully carried out their business transactions in Nigeria and had been allowed through the Nigerian emigration border but would not be allowed back into their own country.
Turned back at the border, most of the businessmen went back to the Nigerian border and after spending several hours in between the two borders they were allowed back into Nigeria.
“The Nigerian immigration officers expressed dismay and asked asked how it was possible for Nigeria to let foreigners into and out of their country and these foreigners are denied entry into their own country”, the businessman told The SUN.
The stranded Cameroonians who have now unwelcomed into their own country were obliged to stay in the Nigerian border Town of Ikom while waiting for the ‘grace’ of government at home to grant them entry into their own country even though they are in possession of valid Identity cards and other official documents to attest to their citizenship.
For two weeks business men and women were stranded in a strange land and forced to spend the little resources they had gathered from their business expeditions in Nigeria on feeding and hotel bills.
Some Nigerians attested to The Sun that business was booming for them at Ikom during these two weeks as the town was flooded by Cameroonians.
Faced with this crisis, some four top officials from Nigeria crossed over to the Cameroonian border to negotiate on behalf of the stranded Cameroonians for them to be allowed entry into the country. The Cameroonian authorities heeded to their plea and the stranded Cameroonians were given a 24-hour window to cross or else remain in Nigeria.
“How shameful it is, that a stranger should negotiate for a people who have all rights and all necessary papers to enter their country. Besides, this is a Trans African Highway for God’s sake” the businessman who refused to be named for security reasons retorted.
After two weeks of border closure, the governor of Cross River State in Nigeria also decided to close the Nigerian border on the grounds that Nigerians are not being allowed into Cameroon while some Cameroonians who can afford to obtain a pass from some high office in Mamfe can pass through the border without any stress. The Nigerian authorities feel that this is cheating and have also decided to pay Cameroon in the same coins by also blocking their borders.
As the saying goes, Impossible is not Cameroonian. It is alleged by some business men and women that when the border was closed, a Cameroon military truck was making brisk business by transporting people from the border to Cameroon at a cost of FCFA 10,000 instead of the normal fare of FCFA 3,000.
The people allegedly cried foul and decided to boycott the military transport service. They were however forced to pay to cross several police and military control posts along the stretch.
Cameroonians who leave Mamfe to Ekok admitted to The SUN that they have to pay FCFA 2000 at each control post-which have multiplied to five since the border closure. They now have to spend an additional FCFA 10,000 to their normal transport fare irrespective of wether they are in possession of ID cards or not. According to our sources, foreigners are forced to pay FCFA 5,000 at each control post from Mamfe to Nigeria.
The numerous control posts and rampant extortion of travellers has pushed many business people to resort to using the Mamfe River to get from Ekok to Nigeria.
Reports from Satoum Beach in Mamfe say a boat capsized two weeks ago and three people lost their lives, one of them a prominent businessman in Bamenda who had gone to buy from Nigeria.
Last week, the military and customs officials at the beach have restricted any movements of boats from the beach, confiscating the engines of boats that dare defy the orders. The engines are only returned after the owners have paid a heavy sum to the security officers.
The Sun caught up with some stranded business men and women at the Satoum Beach who wanted to travel to Nigeria but were denied by security forces. In their desperation, they were directed to a clandestine beach in the heart of the forest where The Sun followed them to and watched them take off.
While there, The SUN also noticed another boatload of several hundred bags of Egusi from Nigeria. The boat owners said they evaded the authorities who wanted to seize their engine and cargo to get to the ‘hidden’ beach.
The SUN spoke to some of the travellers on why they must take the risky trip. They all said that they must travel because their livelihoods depend on their businesses and that the exploitation from military men along the Trans African Highway is exorbitant.