Senate Probes Alleged Annexation of Nigerian Oil-Rich Territories by Cameroon
Senate Probes Alleged Annexation of Nigerian Oil-Rich Territories by Cameroon
The Senate has launched an investigation into allegations that the Republic of Cameroon has illegally annexed Nigerian territories in some local government areas of Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
In response, the Red Chamber has set up an ad hoc committee to probe the issue and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take swift action to protect Nigeria’s territorial waters and safeguard over 2,560 oil wells in the disputed mangrove islands of Akwa Ibom State.
The Senate’s decision followed the adoption of a motion titled “Illegal Annexation of Nigerian Mangroves Islands, Waters, and Its Crude Oil by the Republic of Cameroon,” sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey (PDP, Akwa Ibom North West) during plenary.
The motion, co-sponsored by several senators, including Ekong Sampson Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom South) and Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe (Cross River North), raised concerns about economic losses and the imposition of foreign laws on Nigerians living in the affected areas.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the need for diplomatic solutions to resolve the crisis.
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During his presentation, Senator Bassey stated:
“It is a monumental national embarrassment that foreign laws are being imposed by the Cameroonian Gendarmes on Nigerians living in the 16 ancestral villages in these areas.”
“This encroachment is illegal and has resulted in a significant economic loss, particularly in oil and gas revenues.”
The ad hoc committee, chaired by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, has been given four weeks to present its findings to the Senate.
