More Nigerians have fled the ceded Bakassi Peninsula following intensified harassment of innocent Nigerians living in the area. About 200 persons who recently escaped death and maiming by the gendarmes have arrived the returnee camp at Ekpri Ikang with sorry stories of intense torture.

Some of them who came with fresh wounds allegedly inflicted on them by the Gendarmes narrated ordeals of how many Nigerians were tortured to death on board their canoes and boats and jettisoned into the sea. According to them the 'lucky" corpses brought to land at  Atabong ,one of the many islands were desecrated and either shoved into shallow graves or dumped in any nearby Nigerian homes with disgusting remarks as "eat the body if you wish'.

It was also alleged that most Nigerian fishermen who have lived there all their lives and have no means  of escaping the "slavery" of the Cameroonians are suffering in silence as they have no way of reaching out to the world with their situations. One Mr. Etim Edet , a new returnee, who spoke in an interview said that  apart from experiencing torture in the hands of the Gendarmes, he has personally witnessed the killing of his brother Nigerians and some beaten with lethal weapons such as gun buts ,knives ,club , chains ,belts and most gruesome ,planks with nails on them.

He said that each time such weapons are used blood gush out of their bodies causing the death of most of them. The returnees therefore appealed to the Nigerian government to consider the issue with passionate seriousness in order to protect the Nigerians living in the Bakassi region of Cameroon saying the area is no longer save for them.

The Secretary General, Union of Nigerians in Cameroon, Prince Aston Arung in an interview at the returnee camp confirmed the incident pointing out that over 12,000 Nigerians live in the Peninsula doing legitimate business of fishing are going through hell. Meanwhile over 1500 persons including children and women are presently at the Returnee Camp over stretching the facilities originally meant for about 400 persons.

The returnees who spoke through one of their camp coordinators, Mr. Innocent Edet commended the Cross River State government for the display of magnanimity bestowed on them through its agency SEMA.