Abducted Ambazonian leaders: Tell our Detractors that they are in Nigeria

Fellow Southern Cameroonians,
It has come to my attention over the past few days that La Republique du Cameroun is using its intelligence machinery to sow seeds of confusion and trepidation among our people. These agents are being given the task of contacting our innocent people and selling the idea that our abducted leaders are currently in Yaoundé.

There is a simple logic to this game. Sow seeds of confusion and fear among our people while giving hope to the despairing Francophone Cameroonian population that is fast losing faith in the Yaoundé Regime. By so doing, the Regime is ensuring that we stop applying pressure on the Nigerian government to release our compatriots and rather chase the wind.

Secondly by turning our attention to Yaounde, they are successfully getting us to focus solely on the issue of our abducted leaders instead of turning to the international community and continue to push for the restoration of our statehood. It is a simple decoy which seems to be working. There is no better time than now for our cabinet to be breaking down walls and let the world know our story.

Interestingly, the agents of Yaounde are using some of our brothers and sisters to accomplish this mission of confusion and trepidation. These individuals who are perceived to be our comrades seem to take pleasure in sending out this conflicting information, more out of a wish that the information were true than out of genuine concern. Yet not one single one of them have been able to produce any evidence to back the claims they are making.

My dear people, with all these conflicting information parading on social media, there is only one source of credible information and that is the Interim Government. The members of cabinet have been tasked with ensuring that our people get the right information at the right time. They cannot give information when there is no information to give.

In the absence of information from them, others seem to fill the void for their own nefarious reasons. We must not listen to them. If the members of cabinet had any information that our leaders are in Cameroon, they would be under the obligation to inform our people so that we can begin a massive campaign globally. But we know better. But they know better. Reason why they do not rush to the social media at every turn and corner.

Two weeks ago, I sent out a message asking our people to continue to apply gentle pressure on the Nigerian Government, organize demonstrations worldwide and push for our comrades to get released as soon as possible. Through those protests, some high profile Nigerians acknowledged the presence of our leaders in Nigeria while not being able to explain why they were being held. We must not let ourselves be distracted by the agents of la republique and the individuals in our mist who seem have taken a conscious decision to gleefully work with these agents.

Many of these individuals in our society peddling rumours and spreading unverified information do not take the time to think about the consequences of their actions on family members. As we speak, Barrister Nalowa, Dr. Kimeng, Prof. Awasum and maybe others have vulnerable children who are without their parents and need our moral support. This childish attention seeking from some of our compatriots on social media is taking its toll on these children. The same holds for other family members, wives, brothers, sisters, parents, etc. Please let us exercise some sensitivity and respect, even as we seek fame and glory on social media.

I understand some have even seized the opportunity to score political points and settle political scores. La Republique taught some of us only too well. And every time one thinks we have seen it all, these individuals beat their own records and go even lower. One cannot help but feel sorry for them in their desperate attempts to be relevant. What else can I say? We can only continue to commit them in prayers. As they sink low, let us continue to sow high in our quest for a new Southern Cameroons.

Back to more important things: Let me explain once again why Nigeria cannot send our people to Cameroun:
1. Among the abducted are asylum seekers and refugees who are protected by the Geneva Convention and therefore are the direct responsibility of Nigeria.
2. There are a number of naturalized Nigerian citizens among them who cannot be extradited to Cameroun as they are officially no longer citizens of Cameroun. Nigeria has the duty to try its own citizens.
3. The world is acutely aware of the human rights records of Cameroun and no sane country would send people to be tried in the Kangaroo courts of Cameroon.

We must realise that this has become a diplomatic issue and diplomacy does not make noise. The social media is useful but too crowded and too noisy with too many boys who do not even know what they are doing. Sometimes the information they put out there causes more harm than good. It is for that reason that I have chosen to share the information I am getting only with select individuals. The lives and wellbeing of our compatriots should mean more for us than cheap social media popularity.

Also, we must not fall prey to the mind games of Mr. Bakary Tchiroma and the Yaounde regime. But rather we should focus on Nigeria where are people are being held. The next time some pseudo-journalist/activist comes with information from some “Trusted source in Yaounde”, please ask them for evidence.
I am getting daily briefing from authorities in Nigeria and can tell you in line with the position of the Cabinet that our leaders are all in Nigeria.
The sensitivity of the information we get does not permit us to share on social platforms. However, I will continue to brief those who have been mandated to act on this issue while hoping I would not have to make another public statement on the issue.

Millan Atam