Residents of Okpambe Bashu, a border community in Boki LGA of Cross River State, have said they raised money through contributions to feed the over 2,000 Cameroonians taking refuge in their midst.
The refugees fled southern Cameroon and entered Nigeria over the past two weeks, following renewed oppression of Anglophone Cameroonians in the predominantly French-speaking country.
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The head of Okpambe Bashu, Chief Augustine Eban Out, said villagers contributed money to buy foodstuff for the refugees.
The community’s youth leader, Augustine Ogar, said: “Currently feeding is quite challenging. For the past few days, apart from individual aid from the community members, the entire community do make cash contributions to purchase foodstuffs and share amongst the refugees.
“Though the Nigeria Red Cross came and captured them, there are long processes that need to be made before proper assistance gets to them.
“For now, it is the community that is taking care of the refugees and it’s not easy at all.”
Ogar explained that the refugees are gradually settling down as most of them share cultural affinity and are inter-married with those in Nigeria.
He said every household in the community accommodates between 10 and 20 refugees.
“As I speak to you, the community is overcrowded.”
“So we are calling for assistance from individuals, NGOs and government.”
The director-general of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Princewill Ayim, assured that his team would provide relief materials to the refugees.
