By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate set up an ad hoc committee yesterday to investigate the alleged annexation of maritime territories, mangrove islands, and villages of the Effiat clan in the Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom by neighbouring Cameroon.
The Red Chamber also resolved that its leadership would engage President Bola Tinubu and urged the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to address the matter.
This followed the adoption of the motion resolutions sponsored by former Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly speaker Senator Aniekan Bassey and co-sponsored by six other senators during plenary.
The committee’s Chairman is Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and members are Senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire, Seriake Dickson, Shehu Kaka, Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Agom Jarigbe, Ekong Sampson, and Aniekan Bassey.
Leading debate on the motion, Bassey informed the Senate that the Mbo Mangrove Island, a fishing settlement west of the Rio Del Rey estuary, serves as the official border between Nigeria and Cameroon and reportedly has oil wells and abundant gas reserves.
In his motion brought under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, he noted that the disputed areas were not part of the territory ceded to Cameroon. Citing the 1913 Anglo-German treaties and the International Court of Justice ruling of October 2002.
He described the encroachment as illegal and lamented that the annexation had led to an economic loss of over 2,560 oil wells and gas revenues that should have accrued to Nigeria.
He said, “It is a threat that the Anglo-Island waters situated at the geographical location of Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom is currently under the administrative control of the Republic of Cameroon.
“The situation was a monumental and national embarrassment as Nigerians in 16 ancestral homes and villages now live under foreign laws imposed by Cameroon.”
He stressed that the islands and waters are crucial to the region’s economy, serving as vital fishing routes while condemning the continued expansion of Cameroon’s territorial claims post-Nigeria’s independence.
“It is an affront on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and unlawful exploitation of Nigeria’s economic resources,” he argued.
He recalled that the ICJ had ordered both countries to withdraw sovereignty over areas they were not entitled to under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties. Nigeria ceded over 32 villages from Adamawa to the Lake Chad area.
However, he accused Cameroon of failing to reciprocate by holding onto Nigerian territories, negatively impacting the affected communities and the nation’s economy.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin contributed to the motion, emphasising the urgency of the issue and calling on the National Boundary Commission to intervene to protect Nigerians and national interests.
On his part, Senator Victor Umeh urged the Attorney General of the Federation to enforce the ICJ ruling, stating, “Nigeria cannot be a beneficiary of the judgment and not enforce it.”
He called for immediate action to reclaim the territory, saying, “Let us act fast and recover our territory with over 2,000 oil wells.”
Also supporting the motion, Ibrahim described Cameroon’s actions as a direct challenge to Nigeria’s sovereignty, saying, “We need to report it to the United Nations.”
Following the motion’s approval via voice votes, the ad hoc committee was directed to investigate the issue and submit its findings within two weeks.
