REPS HALT DEMARCATION EXERCISE TO CEDE ADAMAWA TERRITORY TO CAMEROON 11-09-23
By Sadiq Aminu The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on International Boundary Dispute has directed that the demarcation exercise to cede Sina Area in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State to the Republic of Cameroon be halted immediately.
The Chairman of the Committee Mrs Beni Lar, gave the ruling during a hearing on the series of lingering boundary hotspots across the Nigeria-Cameroon boundaries which stretches from the Lake Chad region down to Cross River estuaries.
The hearing was also to assess the role of the military and para-military and security agencies to safeguard the borders and territorial integrity of the country.
Mrs Lar stated that the committee has to continue the engagement with the relevant community as well as the boundary commission and come up with a solution, saying the communities have rights that must be considered.
“This demarcation exercise has to be put on hold until the disputes are resolved. It should be halted pending the resolution of this committee. We would visit Adamawa and come up with a comprehensive report.
“We will recall that we did the first phase of this similar for the DANARE-BIAJUA AXIS of Cross River State and as a fall out of that, the Rt. Hon Speaker through a request by Hon. Dauda Nyampa included this SINA AREA to the Committee’s terms of reference.
She explained that the second aspect of the interactive briefing, which is very critical is on the role of the military, the para-military and the security agencies towards safeguarding the borders and territorial integrity of Nigeria.
According to her, during the Committee’s last visit to Cross Rivers state they discovered the lack of Security posts or barracks of any sort along the nation’s land borders whereas such is obtained across the Cameroon side of borders, hence.
The Director General of the National Boundary Commission Mr Adamu Adaji, stated that the demarcation exercise was being carried out in line with a ruling of the International Court of Justice.
According to him, the Adamawa State sector of the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon as decided by the International Court of Justice is based on treaties and agreements that had been entered into by colonial masters.
Mr Adaji added that the courts upheld the treaties and agreements and ruled that they be used to re-establish the boundary.
The representative of Sina Area Mr Adamu Kamale, said the disputed area was a Nigerian territory and was never a settlement.
He said the community was never considered in the entire demarcation process.