As the ultimatum issued the federal government to release the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and other detained Biafrans by the Biafra Nations League (BnL) ends today, there is increased military presence around Bakassi Peninsula and border towns.

Witnesses said that the Nigerian Army has reportedly taken over the “WELCOME TO BAKASSI” entrance at the boundary between Akpabuyo Local Government Area (LGA) and Bakassi LGA in Cross River State where members of the BnL took temporal control and hoisted the Biafran flag in November 8, 2021.

The Military is said to have also mounted blockade at the main Calabar road in the Ikang area on a stop-and-search operation.

This is coming as the January 23 ultimatum issued the federal government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Benjamin Onwuka of BZF and other Biafran supporters by BnL ends today.

As expected, the Republic of Cameroon has deployed men of the Rapid d'intervention Battalion (BIR) to the ceded Bakassi Peninsula as a result of the threat by the Biafra separatist group whose operational base is in Cameroonian border towns, especially, Bakassi Peninsula which serves as their meeting point, but the BnL said it would not be threatened by the forces deployed to the areas.

National Leader of BnL, Princewill C. Richards, disclosed in a statement that the group would not back down, adding that it has already instructed its members to embark on civil disobedience in areas of their influence outside Bakassi.

He declined to disclose plans of the group in the Gulf of Guinea and other towns bordering Cameroon where they have many followers.