down on Nigerians in the Bakassi peninsula over
taxes. They gained control of the peninsula in
2013, but most inhabitants in the oil-rich area
are Nigerians.
“We don’t understand Cameroon’s tax laws,” a
provisions store owner, Stanley Obi, told the
Hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA),
adding that he has seen an array of people
seeking payments.
“At times, you see the council come to collect
theirs. After, the tax officers will come, police will
come; we are just confused with the whole
system,” Obi said.
In fact a curfew was imposed on the peninsula
last week following disputes between businessmen
and groups of tax collectors.
Fresh fish retailer, Na Eric, said that ever since
Cameroon gained sovereignty over the peninsula,
Nigerians in Bakassi have frequently been
harassed by Cameroonian soldiers.
“It is a means of killing our businesses,” he said.
The governor of the southwest region in which
Bokassi is located, Bernard Okalia Bilai,
confirmed that his administration had imposed a
night curfew in the area, saying the decision is to
halt people coming from Nigeria’s Cross River
State following a meeting held at which peninsula
residents complained that others were
disrespecting maritime borders, attacking the
locals and refusing to pay taxes.
“Nigerians must understand that Bakassi is now
a Cameroonian territory and whoever lives there
must submit to all national rules and regulations,
including paying taxes,” the governor said.
Immediately after the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) ruling, tax collection in Bakassi was
suspended, but as of mid-August 2013, residents
had to start paying their share.
The governor accused Nigerians of disrespecting
the ICJ ruling’s terms by refusing to pay taxes.
In 2002, the ICJ ruling had awarded control of the
disputed Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, and
Nigeria eventually decided not to appeal the
ruling, sparking protests from many Bakassi
residents. And other Nigerians.
In 2008, the ICJ gave Nigeria five years to
transition and cede control. As of August 2013,
Nigerians – who constitute 90 percent of the
peninsula’s population – had to obtain residence
permits and be treated as foreign nationals.
Those who decided to become Cameroonians had
to acquire national identity cards and respect
Cameroon laws
The United Nations-backed Green Tree Agreement
of 2006 set terms of the handover and one of the
articles states that there shall be no
indiscriminate collection of taxes within the
Bakassi peninsula.
Cameroonian embassy keeps mum
Efforts by LEADERSHIP to get the Cameroon
Embassy in Abuja to comment on the issue were
fruitless as officials of the Commission failed to
reply to e-mail sent to the Commission’s mail
address.
Boko Haram slaughters 30 in Cameroon village
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have
reportedly killed over 30 Cameroonian villagers, a
security official disclosed yesterday.
A regional governor, Mijiyawa Bakary, told the
local by phone that the estimated 30 people killed
were civilians.
“We do not yet have all the facts, but our
divisional officers and security officials are filling
us in,” Bakary said.
The attack took place at Mbaljuel village in
northern Cameroon, just a few kilometres from
Cameroon’s border with Nigeria, L’Oeil du Sahel
newspaper said.
The insurgents also carried out a similar attack
along the Waza-Mora highway on Friday, killing
one Cameroonian soldier.
A soldier serving near the border who did not
want to be named said the dead soldier was a
corporal, adding that three soldiers also were
wounded in the attack.
The attackers also confiscated a vehicle belonging
to the Cameroon military.
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