TheCable

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says the attack on a Taraba community by Ambazonia fighters from Cameroon is a communal conflict.

On Wednesday, suspected Ambazonia fighters, a separatist group in Cameroon, reportedly attacked Manga community in Takum LGA of Taraba, killing 12 persons.

The community is about 20 kilometres away from the Kashimbila dam and shares borders with Cameroon.

Reacting to the incident, Ndume, in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, said the incident cannot be described as an external aggression against the country.

The Borno senator said communities in the border areas of the country usually engage in conflict with their neighbours.

Ndume said Ambazonia is a “stateless” group that cannot challenge the territorial integrity of Nigeria, adding that the government must take measures to protect those staying in border communities.

“I don’t want you to take it the way you say now like an external aggression. I have listened to the governor, this is more of communal or tribal conflict that affect communities along our borders,” he said.

“You know the borders of Nigeria and Cameroon stretches from Taraba and even down to Cross River, up to Borno in my local government — Gwoza LGA.

“We have several villages and towns across the borders and mostly it is divided by rivers and you can see that the Manga village is a resettled resettlement from the location of the dam construction.

“As the governor said, the details are not yet out. This kind of communal clashes between tribes and communities happen not frequently but it can happen especially these days.

“Basically, economic and sometimes political reasons, in rare cases, even religious.

“This one is not a threat to our territorial integrity. What I’m suspecting, because the reports are not clearly out, is more of a communal clash.

“What I’m saying is that security to every Nigerian is a constitutional matter and in fact it is the main purpose of the government but that is not to say Cameroon or Ambazonia you called them are threatening Nigeria.”