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Fact about Bakassi


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Ceding Bakassi to Cameroon saved Nigeria from major war –Ajibola, former World Court judge
Published October 29, 2016

Ajibola

Bakassi peninsular is a 1,600-kilometre land boundary between Nigeria, near the city of Calabar in Cross River State, and the Rio del Ray estuary in Cameroon. It was an area inhabited by citizens of both Nigeria and Cameroon.

Due to population growth, which was once put at between 150,000 and 300,000 people, and the attendant increase in human activities on the two sides, the boundary that existed between the two countries became hazy.

Over time, the ownership of this area, said to be very rich in diverse mineral resources, soon became an issue of conflict between Nigeria and Cameroon. While Nigeria argued that it had been in possession of the area in dispute and that its citizens were predominant in the area, Cameroon maintained that regardless of who had been in occupation, the land had belonged to it since the colonial era. It added that the British ceded Bakassi to Germany through the Anglo-German agreement of 1913 and that Germany ceded it to France and then France ceded same to it (Cameroon).

BeachLife:
Is there a possibility of revisiting the Bakassi case? All lands are valuable,and that land is a valuable piece of Calabar(Akwacross).
In this day and age where countries like Singapore and the likes are doing all they can to reclaim hectares of land from the ocean and rivers, why should Nigeria so easily forfeit that land to Cameroon? And now that peninsular actually falls under the now secessionist Ambazonia . And in fact,I just discovered there's a Bakassi secessionist movement either from Cameroon or Ambazonia (if successful) . All street and town names on the island are Calabarian names ,plus a few other historical artifacts and events . The judgement surrounding the forfeiture of the land to Cameroon remains sketchy .
Do you think there may be a possibility of ever retrieving Bakassi based on factual and reasonable evidence ? I think it can be retrieved, though It remains to be seen.

Let's spend our efforts fully developing the 99.999% we have, before going to spend energy claiming that 0.001% so we can add it back to the under-developed.

What are we finding there? Can't we let our brothers in Cameroun enjoy some oil too? Haba. If both countries can use their resources well, while we establish good relationships, we'd have more prosperity to go around.

It added that the British ceded Bakassi to Germany through the Anglo-German agreement of 1913 and that Germany ceded it to France and then France ceded same to it (Cameroon).

You see... we're even arguing about land that the British ceded of their own volition back in 1913. We didn't make the borders of Nigeria, so we can't complain when our oga cuts a bit and gives it to another oga.

Ebenezar2020:
such a Senseless comment coming from an ignorant entity

When you are replying someone, please talk like someone that is well cultured, not like a person that did not receive home training. For your information, I am over 50 years old and know much about the history of Nigeria. I challenge you to go and make your findings. google and other search engine is there. BAKASSI HAS NEVER BEEN ON THE MAP OF NIGERIA.

The fact that the ancestral father of a yoruba man came to settle on a virgin vast land in owerri does not make his ancestral father to own the land in owerri.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/169137-why-we-lost-bakassi-to-cameroon-surveyor-general.html

SangoOlukosoOba:
Go for an HIV test

follow follow spirit,stop following me

PrecisionFx:
Why was the case in court den

which court? Judgement has been delivered on the rightful owner of the peninsula more than a decade ago. Cameroun won the case outrightly. The colonial masters (Germany, UK and France) even gave indication that the land belongs to Cameroun and that when maps were drawn in the 30s, Bakassi was under Cameroun territory

Yes you're right, Calabar as they often refer to Akwa Ibomites and Cross Riverians should only be referred to the Cross Riverians since Calabar is their State capital. We Akwa Ibomites are not and should not be referred to as Calabar or Calabarians. We're two different people, and I believe it's right to tag is Akwa-Cross while referring to Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers.

In Akwa Ibom, WE'RE NOT CALABAR

Truth is the Nigerian government is not forthcoming about telling the truth about how the peninsula was handed to Cameroon. There are details that wasn't given out to the public.

LabDNA:
Continue sowing hate. E go reach your side one day.

Keep quiet
Consult very well

One of Southern Cameroon's greatest mistakes was choosing to join La République du Cameroun instead of Nigeria in the 1961 plebiscite.

Nigeria should consider retrieving the whole of Southern Cameroon, not just Bakassi Peninsula.

Southern Cameroon has been having a lot of negative issues with La République du Cameroun.

Nigeria should take up the case of Southern Cameroon to the United Nations and insist on another plebiscite.

obowo69:
Bakassi peninsula was given away as a reward for Cameroon helping to blockage Biafra during the civil war. When Nigerian Government tried to claim it back, Cameroon threatened to expose so many things about Nigeria and the civil war. In addition, they reached out to France for military intervention if Nigeria tried to take it back by force.

Nigeria, having the weaker hand was forced to give it up.

Liars. I have met one of the lawyers who handled the case for Nigeria. We got the territorial waters which is the oil-rich section. Cameroun got the landmass which has no oil. Nigeria also got lands in Adamawa and other places. Nigeria came out as the winners here. Forget all the misinformation in the media.

How many people have ever laid hands or bothered to read the judgement?

Yes, either through war or FG buys it over.

alphaNomega:
Both of you are so wrong! I wish my post was on the first page. Bakassi peninsula NEVER belonged to Nigeria.

It has been settled at the ICJ with FACTS! I blame our judiciary for making the nation spend so much resources on legal fees even when they knew the truth (unless they were grossly misinformed)

All that talk about Nigeria giving Cameroun Bakassi for their support during the civil war is tantamount to "beer parlour Intel". Please stop saying this. I was fed the same BS when I was younger, but I am glad I know better today

Bakassi belongs to the rightful owners now.

Like the same beer parlour talks that Nigeria is a rich country or that the 70s was eldorado for Nigeria.

obowo69:
Bakassi peninsula was given away as a reward for Cameroon helping to blockage Biafra during the civil war. When Nigerian Government tried to claim it back, Cameroon threatened to expose so many things about Nigeria and the civil war. In addition, they reached out to France for military intervention if Nigeria tried to take it back by force.

Nigeria, having the weaker hand was forced to give it up.

Lol plz where did you get this lies from?? Abeg read books and learn.hear say will not teach you anything.The issue has nothing to do with the Nigerian civil war. And Nigeria did not give even a square meter to Cameroon.

After the independence of both Nigeria and Cameroon in 1960,[1][2] the status of British Cameroons was unclear. A United Nations-sponsored and supervised plebiscite took place the following February resulting in the northern part of the territory voting to remain part of Nigeria, while the southern part voted for reunification with Cameroon.[1] The northern part of British Cameroons was transferred to Nigeria the following June, while the southern part joined Cameroon in October.[3] However, the land and maritime boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroon were not clearly demarcated. One of the resultant disputes was in the Bakassi Peninsula, an area with large oil and gas reserves,[4] which the region had been in de facto administered by Nigeria.[5] In the early 1960s, Nigeria recognized that the peninsula was not a historical part of Nigeria.[2] Nigeria claimed that the British had made an agreement with the local chiefs for protection and that the resultant border of 1884 should be the official border. Cameroon claimed that the British–German border agreements in 1913 should be the current border.[6][7] The dispute was not a major issue between the two countries until the Nigerian President, Yakubu Gowon, was overthrown by General Murtala Mohammed in July 1975. Mohammed claimed that Gowon had agreed to transfer Bakassi to Cameroon when he signed the Maroua Declaration in June. Mohammed's government never ratified the agreement, while Cameroon regarded it as being in force

urahara:
Like the same beer parlour talks that Nigeria is a rich country or that the 70s was eldorado for Nigeria.

Nigeria is actually rich, what we lack is poor resource management. We have more than the UAE but see the difference

alphaNomega:
Nigeria is actually rich, what we lack is poor resource management. We have more than the UAE but see the difference

Oh no !!!

Just the same way you thoroughly researched about the bakassi issue research about the wealth of nations.

by the virtue of geographical location,the place actually belong to cameroun. Nigeria only gave out in peace.if its for the oil that you want it back, what have we done to many that we already have

No chance of that, except through war. After all, Russia annexed the Crimea. But Nigeria cannot successfully wage war against France (Cameroon).

Blue3k:
Not by any legal means. If Nigeria wants they'll have to copy Russia's example in taking Crimea. The population has to succeed and be annexed. Also Nigeria will need to be ready to fund ambazonian terrorist groups. Then be ready for inevitable blowback being them funding boko haram.

France is already funding Boko Haram.

tsdarkside:
bakassi doesnt matter....

did you africans drew the mapy of africa....??
maps in africa is nonesense....

Bakassi doesn't matter Really? Do you realize that there are Nigerians who are from Bakassi who are now under the government of Cameroon, against their wish? If a Neighboring country took over your village, would you agree that your village doesn't matter?

alphaNomega:
Both of you are so wrong! I wish my post was on the first page. Bakassi peninsula NEVER belonged to Nigeria.

It has been settled at the ICJ with FACTS! I blame our judiciary for making the nation spend so much resources on legal fees even when they knew the truth (unless they were grossly misinformed)

All that talk about Nigeria giving Cameroun Bakassi for their support during the civil war is tantamount to "beer parlour Intel". Please stop saying this. I was fed the same BS when I was younger, but I am glad I know better today

Bakassi belongs to the rightful owners now.

My only joy was that OBJ didn't go to war over Bakassi.

He should have been given a Nobel prize for that. Unfortunately, his actions in Odi and Benue state quickly disqualifies him

Switinthemiddle:
. what could they have done
the world sided with Cameroon

They had the option of not agreeing to go to the Court. It was optional. They should have known they did not stand a chance.

poseidon12:
France is already funding Boko Haram.

I dont believe that. It's known that Saudi Arabia funds these salafist jihadists all over world. Boko haram pledged their allegiance to the Islam state becoming ISWAP. Other than that the terrorist raise their money independently with kidnapping, taxes, theft and farming.

sulasa07:
Dont worry,when I am the Supreme Leader of this country,,I will retrieve it.

Yeah right. France will depose you then.

Gwilym:
N.B I am not here to argue for or against Biafra or to label Gowon a good or bad leader....just to correct some mistakes...

Gowon and Bakassi
By Dr. Nowa Omoigui
To the Editor, Guardian Newspapers, Lagos, Nigeria
Sir
In a recent article titled "Gowon, the Queen and the stolen bronze", Reuben Abati raised
interesting questions about the alleged expropriation of an original piece of Benin
artwork from the National museum by General Gowon enroute to Britain in 1973 for a
State trip.
I understand the sentiment he projected and agree with the moral outrage over the
museum matter.
However, I was bothered by his attempt to link the issue of the Benin Bronze gift to the
Bakassi question. A journalist of Abati's stature ought to be much more familiar with the
truth about the Bakassi issue. The media should refrain from sensational publications
which can smear people unnecessarily and/or push government into an untenable
domestic political corner in dealing with complex external affairs issues.
Again and again, over the years (since the July 1975 coup) this false story has been
peddled around that Gowon gave away Bakassi to Cameroun as a gift. It is one of the
bigger lies of the modern Nigerian generation - a lie which has affected Nigeria's
approach over the years to the Bakassi dispute and has even unnecessarily cost the lives
of Nigerian soldiers.
Briefly, let me point out that:

1. Treaties between Britain and Germany dating back to 1913, official Nigerian regional
border delineation (eg The Legal Notice No. 126 of 1954), as well as British-Nigerian
and Nigerian-Cameroun exchange of diplomatic notes (1960-2) all clarified the matter
LONG BEFORE Gowon ever came to power in 1966.

2. Administrative maps of Nigeria have continued to reflect these realities, showing
Bakassi inside Cameroun, except the few that were reprinted in 1991 (during the
Babangida/Aikhomu regime) to try to reinvent the wheel. A courtesy visit to most
Government ministries in Nigeria, which often pin Nigerian maps up on walls, will
confirm this observation. Pay particular attention to the South-east corner and notice
where the maps claim Bakassi is.

3. During the Cameroon/Nigeria plebiscite of 1961, 21 polling stations were physically
located in the Bakassi peninsula. UN records clearly show that approximately 73% of the
people living there AT THAT TIME voted NOT to be administered under independent
Nigeria. This is fairly easy to confirm either from the UN itself or Ambassador BA Clark
who was Deputy Permanent Secretary External Affairs in 1970/71. The precise number
of polling booths and their exact locations is a matter of public record. It is fair to assume
that the vote was binding on future generations in the area. The question of whether it
could have been different - as was the case with Northern Cameroons - is one of the more
fascinating but unexamined aspects of Nigeria's history from that period. Whether the
vote meant that the people of Southern Cameroons should form their own country or be
fused with French Cameroun is another curious angle that has recently surfaced.



4. General Gowon was guided in his approach to the Nigeria-Cameroun border question
by a formal legal opinion prepared in 1970 by the late Teslim Elias, Nigeria's former
Attorney General and, incidentally, later a Judge of the ICJ. Elias prepared a well thought
out formal brief for then Commissioner for External Affairs, Okoi Arikpo, (who was of
South Eastern State origin), in which he clearly stated that Nigeria had no legal claim to
the Bakassi peninsula. Elias also advised that given the legal and historical precedents, as
well as the good relations between both countries, and the role Cameroun played during
the civil war, it was not wise, fair nor right for Nigeria to press the issue. This document
is available.


5. In 1969, even before the Elias opinion - and long before Gowon ever met with Ahidjo
to discuss the border, the office of the Geographer, US State Department, came to the
same conclusion about the Nigeria-Cameroun border. This document is also available.

6. Although some indigenes of the area, local politicians and misguided national
commentators have raised dust over the years, the real dispute between Nigeria and
Cameroun was not originally about the shrimp rich Bakassi peninsula per se. As a
consequence of language in the original Anglo-German Treaty, the dispute was about the
OFFSHORE border and precise delineation of the APPROACH CHANNEL to the
Calabar Port. Why? Because the treaty stated that the NAVIGABLE portion of the
channel was to lie wholly within Nigeria while the peninsula itself was to lie wholly
within Cameroun - even if the Akpa Yafe river was to change its course and flow into the
Rio del Rey. The issue, therefore, was to define the navigable channel. This became more
sensitive when oil was discovered offshore.

7. General Gowon relied on experts from the Federal Survey Department in the Ministry
of Works on what the offshore delineation of the approach channel to the Calabar Estuary
should be - up to the 3-mile limit. The Nigerian civil servant (not Gowon) who actually
decided the offshore eastern border of the navigable channel - which formed the basis of
what became known as the Coker-Ngo line - was Chief R. Oluwole Coker, Director of
Federal Surveys. Accompanied by a group of civil servants from then South Eastern
(later Cross-River) State, including SJ King who had previously served as Consul
General in the Nigerian mission at Buea, the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary
for Justice of the South Eastern State (Mr. Ukot) at that time was party to it and cosigned
the declaration. It is not, however, clear whether the Permanent Secretary of the Federal
Ministry of Works, Gray Longe, or the Federal Commissioner, Femi Okunnu, were aware
of the details. The Governor of the South Eastern State, Col. UJ Esuene was certainly in
the delegation, as was Colonel Musa Usman of the North Eastern State. Mr. U Ekaette,
now Secretary to the Obasanjo government, was also there as one of Gowon's key
assistants. Surveyor Adeleye was in attendance.


What Gowon and Ahidjo did was to sign on either side of the Coker-Ngo line. When
Ahidjo asked Gowon to draw the line, Gowon in turn turned to Chief Coker and asked
him to define it. Gowon did not order anyone to give anything away to Cameroun, nor
did he do so himself. The specifics of this line were certainly previously fiercely debated
internally within the Survey Department at a technical level, and there were some who
felt it ought to have been further toward the Cameroun side, but it is wrong to suggest
that General Yakubu Gowon "gave away Bakassi". The issue of Bakassi itself was sealed
by the Ministry of Justice legal opinion, supported by Okoi Arikpo of External Affairs,
based on decades of legal and political precedent. If the people of the Bakassi peninsula
had either boycotted the Cameroon plebiscite altogether or had voted along with the rest
of Southern Cameroons to stay in Nigeria, the matter would have been much less
complicated - although it could still have been an internal border problem between states.
To compound issues, the late Alhaji Malabu, one time Nigerian Ambassador to
Cameroun used to say some people in the area often paid taxes to both countries. There
are unconfirmed reports that some of the local residents also kept taking part in voter
registration and elections in Nigeria AFTER voting overwelmingly to leave!


8. In reaching an agreement with Ahidjo about the Coker-Ngo "navigable channel"
border, the question of whether Gowon had the authority to do so without subsequent
ratification by the SMC was also the subject of another legal opinion by the Nigerian
Ministry of Justice of that era. Gowon's authority (as confirmed by the Justice Ministry)
derived from a decree originally promulgated by the Ironsi regime. It will be recalled that
the Supreme Military Council - under this decree - was only an advisory body to the
Head of State. Neither Ironsi nor Gowon after him required legal ratification for anything
from the SMC. This is why, for example, Ironsi was able to promulgate the unification
decree of 1966 without formal SMC approval.
Gowon's powers after July 29, 1966, (in continuation of Ironsi's powers) were the subject
of discussions at Aburi in January 1967, and led to the controversial Decree No. 8 of
1967. This decree was never, however, formally codified because Ojukwu rejected it in
the run down to the outbreak of the civil war in July 1967. It will be recalled that in late
May 1967 Gowon declared a State of Emergency and assumed full powers after the


Ojukwu-appointed Eastern Regional Assembly mandated Ojukwu to declare secession. In
1969, after Colonel Obasanjo refused to cooperate with Colonel Muhammed to delay the
end of the civil war in order to force Gowon to "share power" with other officers, there
was no further opportunity (or interest) after the war to change the powers assumed in the
original Ironsi decree. The decree and Gowon's "supreme commander" like legal status
was thus in effect when the Nigerian-Cameroun Boundary commission was doing its
work in the early seventies.

9. When Brigadier Muhammed came to power in July 1975 he initially wanted to retain
this "sole power" arrangement but was overruled by the middle ranking officers
(Yar'Adua, Garba, Abdul Mohammed, Taiwo etc) who carried out the coup. This is why
he had to agree to share power with Brigadiers Obasanjo and Danjuma in a trioka. This is
also why the new decree reconstituting the new SMC in 1975 (after Gowon was
overthrown) enhanced the authority of the SMC and made it more than an advisory
council. It was in the context of this newly enhanced power for the post-July 1975 SMC
that questions were raised (retrospectively) about Gowon's authority to sign the Coker-
Ngo line. However, AT THE TIME he did, Gowon was well within his legal powers no
matter what we may feel today. However, whether the civil servants who advised him to
accept the precise location of the Coker-Ngo line, advised appropriately, is a different
issue. Whether ANY military government can sign ANY agreement whatsoever for the
country is another. The latter is a fundamental point that affects many laws, agreements
and treaties signed by Nigerian governments during the long period of military rule.


10. The sensitive question of arbitrary colonial borders in Africa affects many countries.
There are Yoruba speaking communities which are split between Nigerian and Benin
republic. There are Ewe speaking communities split between Ghana and Togo. The
question of communities split between Nigeria and Cameroun is unfortunate but not
unique. Nigeria, in ratifying instruments which established the OAU in 1963, agreed to
respect the inviolability of colonial borders. This was reflected in the 1964 OAU Cairo
Declaration on Border Disputes among African States.

11. Very interestingly, it came to light during the Buhari regime that several years
AFTER Gowon left office the precise location of the Coker-Ngo line and the navigation
beacons for approaching the Calabar Estuary were shifted even further westwards toward
Nigeria making our case worse. This shift (which was done either during the Obasanjo or
Shagari regimes) may have been done without authority or proper research by the
Nigerian Ports Authority - another consequence of the frequent turn-overs of
governments in Nigeria and lack of collaboration between various pre and post-coup
regimes. Or perhaps it was done to create a reason to award a contract to dredge the area.
Who knows?

12. I humbly advise Reuben Abati (and others) to review original documents or talk
directly to those civil servants WHO WERE THERE AT THAT TIME before he (and
others) write further on the Bakassi matter, confusing Nigerian policy makers and the
public and potentially exposing our soldiers to unnecessary risk. Some of those in the
know are dead but there are others who are not.


13. Like other Nigerians, I hope the judgement of the ICJ helps to settle this issue or
create a framework for bilateral and trilateral discussions to resolve the dispute - for the
sake of those who live there and for the sake of the rest of us. I am also eager to see how
the ICJ reacts to the interesting arguments put forward by Chief Richard Akinjide and his
legal team.


14. However, in the meantime, journalists should stop repeating the lie that Gowon gave
away the Bakassi peninsula. He may have given away an original piece of Benin Bronze
to the Queen of England. But he did not give away Bakassi to Cameroun.
Nowa Omoigui
Columbia, South Carolina


The truth of the matter is, Bakassi never did belong to Nigeria, or Biafra, nor did Gowon give it away. Enough of partial truths.
https://www.nairaland.com/161768/did-gowon-give-bakassi-cameroon

To OP...we cannot get Bakassi back. It's gone. Except by war.

Armed with this information, the Obasanjo administration should not have agreed to go to the ICJ. They should have known Nigeria did not stand a chance of winning the case at the Court. OBJ was probably trying to do 'eye service' to the international community that he is a peace maker.

OGA , BAKASSI PENINSULA IS NOT PART OF OUR PROBLEMS

OGA , BAKASSI PENINSULA IS NOT PART OF OUR PROBLEMS

Is it a SIM card?

BeachLife:
The concept of Nigeria and most African nations is similar to Yoruba nation or Zulu nation invading ,Colonizing and merging Swedes,Irish,Norwegian,Scottish,Welsh as one country. That fact alone is extremely humiliating and disgraceful.Instead of decolonization and working towards true independent federalism, they prefer to maintain the same system.

Guy i have been observing and monitoring you, don't let anybody or anything make u deviate
You r on the right path

The oil rich part of the pennisula still belongs to Nigeria. That's why we agreed to leave the rest of the land to Cameroon