Three Cameroonians, including a soldier, were among 11 persons rescued by the Nigerian military from transborder bandits, SaharaReporters has learnt. The Cameroonian soldier and two other compatriots were reported to have been captured on Monday at a border post mounted by the Cameroonian Gendarmerie. The bandits who reportedly fled Zamfara in Nigeria's Northwest region were said to have found a haven in a forest bordering Adamawa, Taraba states and the Republic of Cameroon.
There was a mild drama on Monday at a court in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, when 21 persons were arraigned for alleged illegal mining. Court proceedings were halted when 11 out of the 21 defendants who claimed to be citizens of Burkina Faso, said they did not understand the language of the court or any Nigerian language. This comes amidst escalating tension in the West African sub-region, following threats of military invasion against the Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).