Akwaya Subdivision: MP begs gov’t for military base as Nigerian herdsmen go on rampage.

According to the MP, the military base is the first emergency needed to safe his people from what he said are marauding Funali herdsmen from the neigbouring Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Hon Aka said heavily armed Fulani herdsmen have invaded communities in Akwaya, slaughtering Cameroonians and razing houses in the process.

The MP told The Guardian Post that a few days ago, the herdsmen raided Bakijaw village and killed three Cameroonians. He identified those killed to be John Goja, a certain Ayula and a primary school teacher.

He said the herdsmen have also invaded Ballin and Bagundu villages. The lawmaker told The Guardian Post that the situation has worsened since after Nigeria’s presidential poll of February 25.

Hon Aka detailed that: “…the herdsmen started attacking people and they crossed over to Akwaya and killed three Cameroonians. You know they started in my village. The herdsmen had displaced about nine communities from Nigeria. But the local population rallied and sent them (herdsmen) away but we are still afraid that since they are herdsmen, they may be planning to come back powerfully”.

‘Herdsmen operating like Boko Haram’

Further indicating the danger facing the Akwaya populace, Hon Aka said, the herdsmen have mannerisms similar to those of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

On this score, he said there is need for urgent government action to forestall the herdsmen’s advancement. The area, he specified, is between the North West and South West regions and Benue and Taradba States in Nigeria.

New military base will help NW, SW population

Reiterating that the zone is “a very fertile area for arms trafficking”, Hon Aka stressed that, a new military base will benefit the people of the two English-speaking regions.

“There is a corridor here that goes through Befang, Benakuma and Esimbi in the North West Region. So the only thing that the government can do to help in this area is to establish a military base,” the MP reiterated.

‘Lone military base 32KM away’

Given the vast nature of Akwaya Subdivision, Hon Aka said, the lone military base in the area is 32 kilometers away from the theatre of operation of the herdsmen.

He said even though there is a Gendarme post in Ballin, “there is need for the military base and a security post that was at Baworo to be reinstated”.

Gov’t, Nigeria turn blind eye to humanitarian crisis?

On the humanitarian situation across Akwaya with the influx of Nigerian refugees and other internal displacements, Hon Aka said for two years, the people have not received any form of support.

He recalled having been the only persons who “went there with 50 bags of rice and helped the refugees. But nothing was done. I wrote to the State but nothing happened”. The CPDM lawmaker however said, the people are still looking forward to any form of relief.

‘Manyu elite don’t know situation in Akwaya’

Quizzed on why he has been the lone Manyu elite crying for the people of Akwaya, Hon Aka said, most of his peers don’t know the terrible situation in the administrative unit.

As an aborigine of Awkaya, he articulated to The Guardian Post that: “I think I should be the first to cry. Many Manyu elite do not really know the actual situation in Akwaya Subdivision”

Most elite, he added, “don’t live in Akwaya. So how can they even know the real situation? Though they too have been doing their part, but I think I should cry first”.

No road to Akwaya

Further lamenting the misfortune of the Subdivision, the MP said, “Akwaya is too vast, extending right up to Menchum Valley in the North West Region. The difficulty of carrying relief is that, there is no access road. So even if there is relief, it will be too difficult to reach the population”.

Going by the MP, the only way to reach Akwaya by road is from Bamenda, passing through Menchum Valley Subdivision, but lamented that: “The road has not been maintained all these years especially the portion from Befang to Akwaya. It is only the military that has been helping”.