Niger Delta

Group Condemns Ceding Of Bakassi

Published

14 years ago

September 28, 2012

The Akwa-Cross Progressive Union (ACPU), a socio-cultural
and political group in Port Harcourt has condemned the ceding of Bakassi
Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In a statement in Port Harcourt, the union charged with the
responsibility of promoting the interest of the Akwa-Cross Ethnic Nationalities
said it is aware that the documents tendered to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) at the Hague did not truly represent the interest of Akwa Ibom
and Cross River States as the judgement fell short of the wishes of the people.

According to the statement signed by the president, Comrade
Emmanuel Iyang and the publicity secretary, Asuquo Coco Bassey, facts at the
disposal of the community in Rivers State show that the ICJ judgement was based
on the 1913 anglo-cameroon matter on their common land and maritime borders
which dated far back to 1811.

It noted that the documents confirming the rightful position
of Bakassi were not presented to the ICJ to support Nigeria’s ownership of the
Peninsula.

“We are at loss as to why a territory that is claimed to be
a part of Western Cameroon which never
took part in the 1961 plebicite should be ceded to Cameroon. It may interest
you to note that in the official Gazzet of Southern Cameroon, Vol. I No. 14,
Bakassi was never included in the list of communities that would vote for their
future country of reference because the Cameroonian government knew that
Bakassi was never a part of Cameroon.”

“We see the ceding of Bakassi which has not participated in
any elected process in Cameroon since 1811 as a calculated ploy to deny our
people the right of citizenship in Nigeria. The claim to the 1931 Anglo-German
treaty which Cameroon rested its case and which the ICJ relied on to give the
judgement was porous, illegal and contestable as Bakassi is determined to take
their fate in their own hand”, the union said.

For the avoidance of doubt, the statement noted that the
1931 Anglo-German treaty was never signed by both countries and that Germany
even renounced all its territorial claims at the end of the First World War

Akwa-Cross people in Rivers State view the ICJ judgment on a
treaty that was never signed and on a territory that was renounced by the
German as a judgment in futility”, the statement stressed and called on Nigeria
to appeal to the ICJ judgment in view of the emerging facts available to right
the wrongs meted out to the people.

The group commended the efforts of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa
in the struggle for Bakassi people and encouraged her steadfastness, pointing
out that the choice of the Bakassi people to belong to Nigeria should be
respected.

At the end of the meeting where this resolution was reached,
two committees, mobilisation and strategy committees were set up.

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Niger Delta

Police Detain 7, Recover Arms In A’Ibom

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has detained seven suspects and recovered firearms after raiding a criminal hideout in Ndiya Mfia, Ikono Local Government Area.of the State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made the disclosure in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday.

John said that the breakthrough which occurred at about 6.00a.m on Wednesday, followed credible intelligence from members of the public.

“We reliably gathered that criminal suspects were hibernating in a compound disguised as worshippers.

“In a decisive operation, our personnel conducted a thorough search of the premises which led to the detention and recovery of arms,” she said.

According to her, the operation was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to decisively combat crime in the country.

The police spokesman further said that two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles and three generators were recovered during the operation.

She also listed 10 mobile phones, one police crest, four jungle boots, one peak cap, saw blade, spanner, number plates, machetes, a special force vest as other items recovered.

“We also found bottles of suspected spiritual oil and one enlarged photograph linked to an ongoing investigation,” she said.

John said that preliminary investigation suggested that the location was being used as cover for criminal operations.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has directed a comprehensive investigation on the matter in order to apprehend the principal suspect.

John expressed the commitment of the Command to rid the state of crime, and urged members of the public to always support the police with timely and credible information.

Niger Delta

Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has launched a grassroots security intelligence network, named, ”Homeland Safety and Security Agency,” to strengthen community-based surveillance and enhance safety across the state.

Otu, who inaugurated the agency’s office in the Southern Senatorial District of the state on Monday, in Calabar, said similar offices were being inaugurated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.

The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, said the officials of the agency would serve as first point of call before matters would be escalated to main security architecture in the state.

He described Homeland Security as an intelligence-driven structure focused on neighbourhood monitoring and early threat detection through coordinated local efforts.

He said the initiative constituted the directors and field operatives, tasked with gathering and forwarding intelligence to relevant security agencies for prompt action.

Otu noted that the network would serve as a first point of contact before intervention by conventional security agencies.

“It is important that we enhance monitoring of movements across our communities, border areas, and riverine zones to identify suspicious activities and enhance security response.

“The state government will provide necessary gadgets and communication tools to improve efficiency and real-time intelligence sharing,” he said.

Otu called for public cooperation, stressing that ‘’security is a collective responsibility requiring timely information from residents.’’

He said, ‘’to ensure that the security outfit works like a model unit, proper screening would be conducted on the volunteers to weed out undesirable elements from the system.’’

The Tide’s source reports that the Governor handed over 14 motor bikes to the agency’s southern Senatorial district office to enhance their efficiency.

On his part, the Director-General, South of the agency, Mr. Michael Nsan, said the volunteers had played key roles in reducing crime through coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing.

Nsan said over 1,300 volunteers currently supported the operations with additional informants providing critical information across communities.

“Crime rates dropped significantly during the last festive period due to our collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the state,” he said.

The Director-General said volunteers would undergo training and screening, with plans underway for formal recruitment through a government employment portal.

According to him, communication tools, including walkie-talkies, and patrol motorcycles had improved rapid response to security incidents.

He commended the governor’s commitment, noting that the initiative would further strengthen security architecture and community safety across the state.

The source reports that some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were traditional rulers and government officials.