The House of Representatives has made a resolution to halt the ongoing plans to transfer Danare and Biajua Communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, to the Republic of Cameroon through Pillar 113A.
The decision was made following the adoption of a motion presented by members of the Cross River Caucus, who sought the intervention of the House.
Representative Victor Abang (APC-Cross River), speaking on behalf of the Cross River Caucus, recalled that on October 10, 2002, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the ownership of the Bakassi peninsula belongs to Cameroon.
Representative Victor Abang further explained that the agreement between the governments of Nigeria and Cameroon during the civil war resulted in the transfer of certain territories, including portions of the Bakassi Peninsula, from Nigeria to Cameroon.
He highlighted that in July 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that Cross River State had lost ownership rights to over 76 oil wells due to the loss of its littoral status. This occurred when portions of the peninsula were ceded to Cameroon by the Federal Government.
In response to the ICJ ruling, the United Nations established two committees to implement the retracing of the Cameroon-Nigeria international boundary line from the Lake Chad region (Yola) to the Atlantic Ocean (Bakassi). One of these committees is the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC), consisting of representatives from both countries and UN officials.
The demarcation process was carried out by a Joint Technical Team (JTT), a sub-body of the CNMC, which involved the location of boundary points and the placement of boundary pillars. While representatives from both countries were part of the JTT, the technical expertise was provided by a foreign contractor paid by the CNMC.
According to the Anglo-German agreement of April 12, 1913, a total of 114 boundary pillars were established along the Cameroon-Nigeria boundary from the Lake Chad region (Yola) to Agbokim in the Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State. Six of these boundary pillars fall within the Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The resolution by the House of Representatives aims to halt the ongoing plans to cede Danare and Biajua Communities in Boki Local Government Area to the Republic of Cameroon, based on the aforementioned historical and legal context.
Representative Victor Abang further explained that among the boundary pillars, the ones of particular concern are pillars 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, and 113A.
He pointed out that according to the Anglo-German agreement, pillar 113A is located 9.6 kilometers into the forest from pillar 113, leading to pillar 114 in Agbokim within the Etung Local Government Area.
The representative expressed concern that the Joint Technical Team (JTT) has not been able to locate pillar 113A. Instead, they are considering adopting a straight-line method, which would result in the loss of Danare and Biajua communities.
He highlighted that approximately 7,000-10,000 hectares of land in the Boki Area of Cross River State have been ceded to the Republic of Cameroon.
The lawmaker argued that under the principles of federalism, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to safeguard the territorial integrity of all federating units. Therefore, the Federal Government does not have the right to unilaterally cede, sell, mortgage, or allocate any part of a federating unit to another country without the consent of the House of Representatives.
Representative Victor Abang expressed concern over the lack of concerted effort by the Joint Technical Team (JTT) to locate a critical pillar point that would determine the accurate boundary line, which has led to controversy.
He highlighted that instead of the JTT going back and properly retracing the missing pillar, they have proposed a straight-line projection to bridge the gap between pillars 113 and 114.
If urgent action is not taken by the Federal Government, Representative Abang warned that the entire country would lose the communities of Danare, Biajua, and parts of the Obanliku area of Cross River State to the Republic of Cameroon.
He further raised suspicions that the missing pillar 113A might have been deliberately removed by the Cameroonian government as part of their plot to take over the land and the people of Danare and Biajua communities.