The Republic of Cameroon, Nigeria’s immediate neighbour to the east, has congratulated and thanked the government for the re-arrest and reparation of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra through the collaboration of national security agencies and the INTERPOL.
Cameroon’s thanksgiving was expressed by Mr Felix Mbayu, a Special Envoy from President Paul Biya, when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
This was contained in a statement issued Tuesday by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity to Presiden Buhari.
Mr Mbayu, Cameroon’s Minister Delegate in Charge of Cooperation with the Commonwealth said President Biya was happy with the role Nigeria was playing in Africa, noting that the two neighbours share not just borders and historical ties, “but also common challenges.” “These challenges border on security specially, and it is incumbent on us both to find common solutions.”
IPOB, in a bid to strengthen its operations in southeastern Nigeria, had forged an alliance with Ambazonian Movement, another separatist group from Cameroon, that is seeking self-determination in southern Cameroon.
Mvayu noted that Cameroon’s Biya looked forward to a situation in which Nigerian territory would not be available for the Ambazonian movement to destabilize Cameroon, “as some people are taking advantage of some crises in the two English speaking parts of Cameroon to break the country apart.”
Adesina, quoted the President as saying, “You will have problems if your neighbours are not cultivated. And our relationship with Cameroon had been very clear since when I was serving in the military. The country offered us needed support during our Civil War.”
“That was why when I first came to office in 2015, I immediately visited all our neighbours, because we are very clear about the value of good neighbourliness.
President Buhari pledged on Nigeria’s behalf to offer the best support possible to ensure that the Republic of Cameroon remains an indivisible country.
He said Nigeria and Cameroon share historical ties and common borders, which make it imperative for the two countries to look out for each other’s well-being.
He noted that Nigeria was aware of the separatist agitation by the Ambazonian movement, but stressed that it was in the interest of Nigeria “to ensure that Cameroon is stable, and we will be steadfast in our support for you.”
