Chief of Defence Staff, General Andrew Azazi, insisted yesterday that Nigerian military did not attack Cameroonian soldiers in Bakassi.
Also yesterday, leader of Nigerian delegation to the United Nations, Prince Bola Ajibola, reiterated that Nigerian government had no hand in the November 12, 2007 killings of the 20 Cameroonian soldiers.
This development is coming as indication emerged that the two countries are working together to find out the cause of the attack.
Initially, Cameroonian military sources said the attackers wore Nigerian military uniforms and ambushed a boat. Nigeria, however, blamed local militants from the volatile Niger Delta region.
Reacting to allegations that Nigeria was involved in the attack, Azazi queried, �by your observations, is there anything that suggest that Nigeria has a problem with Cameroon to the extent of deploying soldiers to attack Cameroonian soldiers or oil rig?�
�Why will Nigeria by any means take any action like that? From what I recall and heard from the Army media, there was an attack around Akwa Ibom State much earlier and they were repelled. Of course we were told they seized Police boat and some arms and by the next day, we heard that people were attacked on the Cameroon side and we don�t know who was responsible, because nobody was arrested.
“But Nigeria cannot irresponsibly carry out an attack against any nation. We are talking about peace, why will Nigeria do that when we have our troops out on peace-keeping mission. So, if there are speculations, I don�t know where the speculations are coming from, but there is not way Nigerian military will be involved in such an act. There is no evidence that Nigerian military are involved, I am telling you this categorically, and you can quote me anywhere, Nigerian military was not involved in the attack against Cameroonian facilities,� he said.
On the retaliation, he said he was yet to be informed.
Source: This Day