The Nigerian Senate has launched an investigation into what it describes as the “illegal annexation” of Nigerian mangrove islands and maritime territories by Cameroon.
The alleged encroachment is said to have cost Nigeria economic benefits from over 2,560 oil wells. Senator Aniekam Bassey, who raised the motion, claimed Cameroonian gendarmes are violating the rights of Nigerians living on affected islands along the Akwa Ibom and Cross River coastlines.
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Senator Bassey stressed that these territories were not part of the Bakassi Peninsula ceded to Cameroon following the International Court of Justice ruling in 2002. He cited the 1913 Anglo-German Treaty as evidence that the islands in question belong to Nigeria.
The Senate has urged President Bola Tinubu to address the situation and defend Nigeria’s sovereignty. A nine-member panel led by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has been tasked with investigating the claims and is expected to report back within two months.
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