The Senate Committee Chairman on Diaspora and Civil Societies, Senator Rose Oko, on Thursday condemned the recent killing of 97 Nigerians by the Cameroonian soldiers at the Bakassi Peninsular.
Oko, who was joined by other senators including Olanrewaju Tejuoso, Gershom Bassey, Obinna Ogba, and Kurfi Ibrahim, in strongly condemning the dastardly act expressed dismay with the unwarranted inhuman treatment meted out to Nigerians living in Bakassi Peninsular, particularly those from Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
Oko, who led other senators moved a motion and resolution calling on the federal government to come up with a clear policy on the protection of her indigenes in the Diaspora especially those that live within the ambit of the law, the Cameroonian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to respect the provisions of the Green Tree Agreement.
Also investigate the recent harassment of Bakassi indigenes in the Cameroons that led to the death of several of them and their mass return, and for NEMA to immediately send relief to the returnees to reach them directly.
Oko acknowledging the pathetic experience of Nigerians in Bakassi Peninsular said if adequate protection was not given to Nigerians in Diaspora, particularly in Africa many Nigerians will continue to come under growing xenophobic attacks, killings and harassments.
She said: “We condemn in strong terms the actions of the Cameroonian gendarmes against Nigerians in the Bakassi Peninsula.
“These Nigerians already are traumatized by suddenly finding themselves as foreigners in their natural habitat are being subjected to further harassment.
“Those that returned after the ICJ ruling and the Green Tree Agreement had not been properly resettled back in Nigeria; living in makeshift accommodation for several years now.
“Is alarmed that about a few weeks ago a large number of Bakassi indigenes in the Cameroons returned to Nigeria in grave distress
“Further alarmed that 97 Nigerians were feared to have been killed in an attack by Cameroon gendarmes over failure to pay a discriminatory boat levy of N100,000.00. The attack was targeted mainly at Nigerians from Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Ondo states.
“Even if preliminary investigations have revealed, as is reported in the media, that they were not killed but died in the sea, the fact remains that they were obviously fleeing from their host country in distress.”
It will be recalled that on 29th March, 1994, Cameroon took the dispute it had with Nigeria over the Bakassi Peninsular to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and on 10th October, 2002 the ICJ ruled in favour of Cameroon.
Also notes that on 12th June, 2006 an agreement between the two countries known as the ‘Green Tree Agreement’ was signed for the withdrawal of Nigerian troops and the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Cameroons peacefully.
Further notes that the Green Tree Agreement had the following provisions concerning the status of Nigerians living on the Peninsula, which stated that Cameroon would not force Nigerian nationals living in the Bakassi Peninsula to leave the zone or change their nationality, respect their culture, language and beliefs, respect their rights to continue their agricultural and fishing activities.
Also protect their properties and customary land rights, not levy in any discriminating manner any taxes and other dues on Nigerian nationals living in the zone; and take every necessary measure to protect Nigerian nationals living in the zone from any harassment or harm.
