Cameroon separatist leader, Julius Ayuk Tabe has just been taken into custody by forces loyal to President Paul Biya.
Julius Ayuk Tabe was arrested in a hotel in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, alongside nine of its members while in a meeting.
Julius Ayuk Tabe, was the president of the Republic of Ambazonia, a separatist republic formed by the people of Southern Cameroon. Southern Cameroon has decried years of killings and marginalization by federal forces loyal to President Paul Biya.
In a statement, the Republic of Ambazonia, through its Secretary of Communications and IT, Chris Anu, condemned the arrest and called on the government of Nigeria to investigate the matter and ensure Jacob Ayuk Tabe is safe.
The statement mentioned named those arrested alongside Julius as:
Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor, Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC)
Dr. Fidelis Nde Che,
Dr. Henry Kimeng
Prof. Awasum
Dr. Cornelius Kwanga
Mr. Tassang Wilfred
Barrister Eyambe Elias
Dr. Ojong Okongho and
Barrister Nalowa Bih.
According to the statement, Julius was in a meeting with his team to discuss the Southern Cameroons Refugee crisis in Nigeria when he was abducted.
“The President and his team were in a High Command meeting in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria at the time the Cameroun Gunmen showed up at the Hotel. The meeting started at around 5 pm, Nigerian time. At around 7:30 PM, the gunmen came into the Hotel and abducted all of them including the President.
The meeting was scheduled to discuss the Southern Cameroons Refugee crisis in Nigeria and to galvanize relief support for housing, medical and feeding in anticipation of the approaching rainy season.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has been notified of the incident and it is currently investigating the situation. The Interim Government of the Southern Cameroons calls on all Southern Cameroonians to remain calm as it pursues investigations.
Southern Cameroonians continue to be victims of extrajudicial killings orchestrated by President Paul Biya and his henchmen.
President Paul Biya and his henchmen must know that Southern Cameroonians will continue to assert their right to self-determination and will hold Paul Biya to account for all the killings of Southern Cameroonians.
We call on Nigerian authorities to address this issue immediately and ensure that the Cameroun Government does not do any harm to them. We also call on the Nigerian authorities to investigate this threat against its sovereignty by La Republique du Cameroun.
We call on the Nigerian government to guarantee the security of the more than 20,000 Southern Cameroonian refugees in various camps in Nigeria.
Ambazonians will “Live Free or Die.” said Chris Anu in the statement.
