Senate Investigates Cameroon’s Encroachment Into Nigeria

The Senate has investigated the alleged annexation of Nigeria’s maritime territory and mangrove island villages belonging to the Effiat clan in the Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State by the Republic of Cameroon.

This development follows the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey (PDP, Akwa Ibom North East) and co-sponsored by six other senators during plenary on Tuesday.

The Senate subsequently constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter, with Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) appointed chairman.

Other members of the committee include Senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central), Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Shehu Kaka (APC, Borno Central), Ipalibo Harry Banigo (PDP, Rivers West), Agom Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North), Ekong Sampson (PDP, Akwa Ibom South), and the motion sponsor, Senator Aniekan Bassey.

The Mbo mangrove island, a vital fishing settlement west of the Rio Del Rey estuary, marks part of the international boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon. The area is known to host oil wells and significant gas reserves.

In his motion, Senator Bassey argued that the territory was not among the areas ceded to Cameroon under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling of October 2002.

He described the encroachment as an illegal occupation that has resulted in the loss of over 2,560 oil wells and billions in oil and gas revenues for Nigeria.

Bassey lamented that the annexation had subjected Nigerians residing in 16 ancestral villages to foreign Cameroonian laws, calling it a “national embarrassment” and “a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty.”

“The illegal occupation of these villages and waters by Cameroon contravenes the ICJ ruling, the 1913 Anglo-German treaties, and sections of the Nigerian Constitution,” he said. “This is a direct assault on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and an unlawful exploitation of our economic resources.”

Senator Bassey further revealed that while Nigeria had complied with the ICJ judgment by ceding territories from Adamawa to the Lake Chad region, Cameroon allegedly occupied Nigerian territories in Akwa Ibom.

In his contribution, Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) described the situation as dire, referring to the affected communities as “stateless” due to either nation’s lack of clear jurisdiction.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) emphasised the urgency of the matter, stating, “We cannot wait for a minute.”

Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) urged the Senate leadership to escalate the matter to President Bola Tinubu, warning that “what happened to Akwa Ibom is a national issue.”

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim stressed the need for Nigeria to lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations. At the same time, Senator Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) called on the Attorney General of the Federation to enforce the ICJ ruling, which affirmed Nigeria’s sovereignty over the disputed islands.

“We must act decisively to reclaim our territory and recover our resources,” Umeh added.

The Senate resolved to engage President Tinubu and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to adopt diplomatic channels to address the alleged illegal annexation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the ad-hoc committee to submit its findings within two weeks.