Residents of Belegete Community in Obanlikwu local government area of Cross River State have left their houses following an onslaught on the region by Ambazonian rebels.
His Majesty Uchua Amos Item said The invaders destroyed two residences, including that of Obanlikwu council's supreme ruler.
The monarch questioned why the rebels conducted another attack on a neighborhood where residents who fled to neighboring communities have yet to return.
He claimed that the insurgents from the southwest of Cameroon Republic stormed the mountainous community of Belegete in Obanliku local government area and retreated, leaving significant destruction behind.
The traditional ruler urged the state and federal governments to increase their presence in the town, despite the rugged terrain, so that residents who had fled their ancestral homes might return home.
Ambazonian fighters entered the Belegete village on December 5, 2023, killed a few inhabitants, and held it for more than a week.
The monarch claimed that despite his outreach to the army and police commanders in his domain, the security services had not been able to adequately address the issue of the mountains' inaccessibility.
“It takes over six hours from the famous Obudu Mountain Resort to get there by descending the mountains into the deep. It is not motorable in any way. Okada riders charge N35,000 to travel there. So, it was very difficult for our men to descend to the place to rescue our people.
“But reliable sources confirmed to me this morning that the insurgents have abandoned the community. But they however burnt some houses before they fled,” the monarch said.
