By Andy Esiet, Calabar
The alliance between the Biafran National League (BnL) the Ambazonia separatist group of South West Cameroon has frustrated business and other activities around Cross River, Nigeria and Cameroon border communities.
An eyewitness account said the usually busy border communities of Cameroon and Nigeria in Mfum, Ekok, Ekang and few others have gone low due to the activities of the separatist groups.
The leader of the Biafra Nations League, BnL, Princewill Richards said the the two separatist groups went into an alliance in February 20, 2016 when the latter held a congress at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State with a separatist group of Ambazonia Governing Council (AGC) to cooperate on mutual interest.
He said the BnL group however “has been the major backbone of the different factions of Ambazonia fighters around borders” thereby prolonging their war with the Cameroon government.
Richard stated that recently, authorities in Cameroon lamented that businesses have been paralyzed around the borders and the coastal areas where BnL and Ambazonia separatists hold as strongholds, the Cameroonian authority accused the Biafran group of smuggling arms into Cameroon.
He said last week, suspected Ejagham speaking supporters of BnL, had blocked some Ambazonia separatists from smuggling timber into Nigeria as members of BnL numbering 11 blocked communities in Akamkpa LGA of Cross River State with bamboo sticks to prevent the Ambazonians from entering.
However, reacting to the report, Deputy Leader of BnL, Ebuta Takon, whose tribes men carried out the blockage said the intention was not to prevent the Ambazonians from entry since there is an alliance but “I believe something prompted that action, but until we find out why, we won’t say anything further” .
Meanwhile the BnL has asked the Police in Cross River State to release it’s members wrongly identified as members of the movement for the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB) arrested in Ikom.
It was gathered that among those arrested were seven Igbo traders arrested inside a watch repairs shop are accused of being MASSOB members, while the remaining 17 are BnL members arrested in their houses based on tip off operations.
The National Leader of BnL, said it’s members were not involved in any crime in the state, warning that “the arrest of it’s Ejagham supporters would result to problem at the border town if not handled with care
