The Senate has raised an ad hoc committee to investigate claims that Cameroon has illegally annexed Nigeria’s mangrove islands and maritime territories.
The committee is tasked with submitting a report within two months, outlining recommendations on how to resolve the issue.
The Senate also called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial waters and secure the country’s oil assets—more than 2,560 oil wells—located within the disputed mangrove islands in Akwa Ibom State.
Additionally, Senate leaders have pledged to engage the President in discussions to explore diplomatic solutions to the ongoing crisis.
The motion for the committee’s formation was presented by Senator Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East) under Senate Orders 41 and 51.
In his address, Senator Bassey highlighted the economic and territorial risks posed by the alleged encroachment, noting that the islands in question, located in Efiat, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, were not part of the areas ceded to Cameroon under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties or the International Court of Justice ruling of October 2002.
Bassey expressed his concern, stating, “It is a serious national embarrassment that foreign laws are being imposed by Cameroonian forces on Nigerians living in the 16 ancestral villages in these areas. This illegal annexation has led to significant economic losses, especially in oil and gas revenues.”
He said, “The Mangrove Islands and waters at Effiat in Mbo Local Government Area, marking the terminal end of the Gulf of Guinea leading to the Atlantic Ocean, are currently under the illegal control of Cameroon. This violation contradicts the 1913 Anglo-German Treaties, the ICJ’s judgment of October 2002, and the Nigerian Constitution (Section 12).
“These islands are of immense economic importance, containing over 2,560 oil wells and significant gas reserves that should belong to Nigeria but are currently exploited by Cameroon due to this illegal annexation.”
Senator Bassey also referred to a 2016 discussion between then-President Muhammadu Buhari and Cameroonian President Paul Biya, where Biya questioned Nigeria’s stance on the Bakassi Peninsula and its hydrocarbon joint ventures with Cameroon.
Buhari clarified that while Nigeria accepted the ICJ ruling, the exact delineation of international waters, particularly around the mangrove islands, remained unresolved.
He further emphasised the encroachment as part of Cameroon’s expansionist agenda, violating international laws, undermining Nigeria’s territorial integrity, and unlawfully exploiting Nigeria’s resources.
The Senate motion reiterated that the annexation violates several international agreements, including the 1964 Resolution of the Organisation of African Unity, which called for respect for the territorial borders of African nations following independence.
It also pointed to the 1913 Anglo-German treaties that clearly define the mangrove islands as Nigerian territory.
Lawmakers called for a review of the ICJ judgment and urged the Federal Government to bring the issue before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) stressed that Nigeria must escalate the matter at the international level, stating, “The Senate cannot remain silent when our sovereignty is under threat. The annexation is a violation of our territorial rights and could result in environmental disasters and loss of national revenue.”
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) recalled the controversy over the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, expressing concern that a similar situation was unfolding.
“We continue to neglect the rights of communities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River,” Ningi said. “This issue should be raised to President Tinubu, and experts and diplomats must be involved in resolving the matter.”
Other lawmakers, including Senators Agom Jarigbe (Cross River North), Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), and Etem Williams (Cross River Central), echoed similar sentiments, describing the situation as an ongoing crisis that leaves Nigerians in the affected areas vulnerable to harassment by Cameroonian forces.
Senator Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East) also pointed to other territorial disputes, such as the Republic of Benin’s claims to Tungeji Island in Ogun State.
Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North) called for a reassessment of the ICJ judgment and its implementation, referencing the rushed cession of Nigerian territories under former President Obasanjo.
Senator Amos Yohanna (Taraba North) added that boundary issues also affect several local government areas in his state, urging more attention to the role of the National Boundary Commission in resolving such disputes.
The newly formed Senate ad-hoc committee will be chaired by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and includes Senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West), Kaka Lawan (Borno Central), Banigo Ipalibo (Rivers West), Agom Jarigbe (Cross River North), Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South), and Aniekan Bassey.
