FG urged to check alleged irregularities in ceding process

Delegates attending the National Conference, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to stop the alleged invasion of Cross River State by Cameroon officials and the ongoing illegal boundary demarcation between Cameroon and Nigeria.

Most of the delegates, who expressed displeasure by the development, described the action as an affront on the Nigeria's sovereignty.

The call was sequel to a motion of urgent public importance raised by Orok Otu Duke, who raised the alarm on invasion of Nigeria by Cameroon officials with United Nations officials to carry out illegal boundary demarcation and ceding of about 12 villages from Cross River State to Cameroon.

He noted that the illegal confiscation of Nigerian villages located on the country's border with Cameroon was in violation of the Green Tree Agreement, which prescribed the mode of demarcation.

Duke had during his submission on the floor expressed worry that if something was not done to urgently address the matter, the country could lose more villages to Cameroon against the consent of the people.

"As we gather here deliberating, some demarcation exercise is going on and beacons are being planted on Nigerian villages by officials of the Mixed Commission, in company of some officials suspected to be from the United Nations but without the presence of Nigerian officials," he said.

Specifically, Nigeria and Cameroon have disputed the possession of Bakassi for some years, leading to considerable tension between the two countries.

In 1981 the two countries were at the brinks of war over Bakassi and another area around Lake Chad, at the other end of the two countries' common border.

The conference, which faulted the action of the officials, also lamented that several years after the judgement of the International Court of Justice, which ceded some Nigerian territories on the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, the Nigerian government has not taken any step claim the villages ceded to the nation.