The House of Representatives has taken action to prevent the transfer of Danare and Biajua communities in Boki local government area of Cross River State to the Republic of Cameroon through Pillar 113A.
The House unanimously approved a motion jointly sponsored by members of the Cross River Caucus during yesterday’s plenary session.
In representing the Cross River Caucus, Hon Victor Bisong Abang stated that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on October 10, 2002, that the Bakassi peninsula belongs to Cameroon, based on an agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon during the civil war. He also mentioned that the Supreme Court ruled in July 2012 that Cross River State has no ownership rights over 76 oil wells due to the loss of its coastal status when parts of the peninsula were ceded to Cameroon by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The lawmaker stated, “The ICJ ruling involves the retracing of the Cameroon-Nigeria International Boundary line from the Lake Chad region (Yola) to the Atlantic Ocean (Bakassi), subsequently the United Nations (UN) established two Committees to implement the judgment, leading to the formation of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC) consisting of representatives from Nigeria, Cameroon, and UN officials.
“The fieldwork, which includes determining the boundary points and placing boundary pillars, was carried out by a Joint Technical Team (JTT), a sub-body of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, with representatives from both countries on the JTT, while technical expertise is provided by a foreign contractor funded by the CNMC.
“Recognizing that the demarcation conducted by the JTT must be regarded as valid and conclusive by the CNMC.”
Abang stated, “The Anglo-German agreement on the Cameroon-Nigeria boundary of April 12, 1913, indicated a total of 114 boundary pillars from the Lake Chad region (Yola Adamawa State) to Agbokim in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State, established by the Anglo-German with serial numbers inscribed on the pillars. Six of these boundary pillars are located within the Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, which include pillars 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, and 113A respectively.”
“According to the Anglo-German agreement, the contextual pillar 113A is located 9.6 km from pillar 113 into the forest, leading to pillar 114 in Agbokim in Etung Local Government Area.”
He expressed concerns that the JTT has not found pillar 113A and is planning to adopt a straight-line method, which would result in the loss of Danare and Biajua communities, as well as about 7,000-10,000 hectares of land in the Boki Area of Cross River, to the Republic of Cameroon.
The lawmaker argued that according to the principles of federalism, the Federal Government has the responsibility to protect the territorial integrity of all constituent units and should not unilaterally cede, sell, mortgage, or allocate any part of a constituent unit to another country without the consent of the House.
Abang expressed concerns that the failure of the JTT to locate a critical pillar point that determines the correct boundary line has caused controversy.
“The missing pillar 113A may have been deliberately removed by the Cameroonian government as part of their plan to take over the land and the people of Danare and Biajua communities. If a country like Nigeria continues to lose its people, land, and natural and mineral resources to neighboring countries, there may come a day when there is no Nigeria.”
The motion received support from many members of the House, including Yusuf Adamu Gagdi from Plateau, Fredie Agbedi from Bayelsa, Ahmed Jaha from Borno, and Beni Lar from Plateau, who stated that the motion was timely and vowed that the parliament would not sit idly by and allow the territorial boundary of Nigeria to be ceded to another country.
Upon adopting the motion, the House invited the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission and the Surveyor General of the Federation to explain why pillar 113A has not been found.
The House also resolved to investigate and assess the potential encroachment of land by the Cameroonian government and consult with legal experts, land surveyors, and other relevant professionals to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the technical aspects involved in resolving the encroachment.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary, referred the matter to an Ad-hoc committee comprising members who are experts in this field.