Abuja — Cameroon authorities have disputed Nigerian media reports that Nigerians were killed by Cameroon Gendarmes last week, to avenge the killing of six divisional officers, of Combo Abidimo (Cameroon) saying the North Bakassi zone was already deserted when Cameroonian security forces arrived there.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Cameroon, Mr. Amodou Ali said this at the 22nd session of the Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission meeting organised by the National Boundary Commission in Abuja yesterday, where he gave the assurance that his government has taken measures to provide more security for the zone.

According to Ali, three of the nine officers escaped and alerted the authorities who moved into the fishing village to intervene and found it deserted.

"I can assure you that in that fishing village nobody was found; even if there was anybody there, they fled the place, so you cannot exert reprisals on people who do not exist".

"I can formally say to the Nigerian media, that there were no reprisal attacks because there was nobody there on whom the reprisals would be exerted. The village was totally empty", he said

He added that there was an improvement in the living conditions of the residents of the Bakassi peninsula has improved significantly through the provision of facilities provided by the Cameroonian Army.

Ali, who is also the head of the Cameroon delegation, expressed appreciation that Nigeria was ready to honour the Green Tree Accord in compliance with the International Court of Justice's ruling.

The head of the Nigerian delegation, Prince Bola Ajibola said the Nigerian government was taking care of those displaced by the ceding, but that the bureaucracy was slowing down the process of their resettlement.

He, however, emphasised the need for Nigeria and Cameroon to live in harmony, not just because of the shared border but because over four million Nigerians reside there stating that the challenge was how "how to get them rehabilitated and resettled. That is going on because to us, that is the most important and our people who have decided to stay here would still be well cared for".

He added that schools and accommodation are already being prepared for them, but in the new Bakassi, they are already being given the basic amenities they need.

The Chairman of the Joint Commission, Mr. Said Djinnit in his address said in spite of the difficult terrain of both countries, steady progress has been achieved in the demarcation of the land boundary.

Djinnit, who is also the Special representative of the UN Secretary General added that, all available resources would be provided towards coordinating support for the finalisation processes of the demarcation.

Both countries, he solicited, should adopt confidence building measures that would contribute to further cement their relationship.