The Indigenous Displaced People of Bakassi Communities petition President Bola Tinubu, demanding legal actions and development measures to address longstanding grievances
The Indigenous Displaced People of Bakassi Communities (IDPBC) have called on the Nigerian federal government to mandate the National Assembly to immediately remove Bakassi Local Government Area (LGA) from the 774 local government areas recognised by the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
This move follows years of unresolved issues stemming from the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, which ceded part of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
In a petition submitted to President Bola Tinubu on 6th January 2025, the IDPBC outlined a series of grievances that have plagued the displaced communities since the ICJ decision.
The petition was signed by 13 prominent stakeholders from the Bakassi area, including former elected Council Chairman Iyadim Amboni Iyadim, Princess Okuanwan Okon, HRH Edem Archibong, Clan Head William Edet, and Bishop Samuel Asuquo, among others.
The petition, also copied to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Attorney-General of the Federation, and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, lists several demands for the federal government.
These include the abrogation of Cross River State Law No 7 of 2007, which created a new Bakassi LGA from Akpabuyo LGA, and the development of the unceded parts of the Bakassi Peninsula, such as Dayspring 1 and 2, as well as Kwa Islands, to allow for the resettlement of displaced people.
The IDPBC claims that allocations meant for the development of these islands have been misappropriated in Akpabuyo LGA, depriving them of the resources needed to rebuild their communities.
They are also demanding the legal transfer of their local council headquarters from Ikot Effilm in Akpabuyo LGA to Abana on Dayspring Island, which they argue is constitutionally recognised.
Other key demands include immediate land reclamation, shoreline protection, infrastructure development on Dayspring and Kwa Islands, and the provision of adequate security to protect the displaced communities.
The petitioners warn that if the federal government fails to act after 17 years of ceding their ancestral land, they will take their case to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
