Plight of Bakassi ‘Unholy, Unjust,’ Says Cross River Deputy Governor

Plight of Bakassi ‘Unholy, Unjust,’ Says Cross River Deputy Governor

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News

Cross River State Deputy Governor Peter Odey has condemned the ongoing suffering of the displaced residents of Bakassi Peninsula as “unholy and unjust,” highlighting their continued hardship since the peninsula’s ceding to Cameroon in 2012. The move led to Nigeria losing control over 76 oil wells in the area, deepening the economic and social distress of the local people.

Speaking at the inaugural Nigeria International Coastal Border Platform Summit held in Uyo, Deputy Governor Odey described the situation as an “international, African, and national abandonment.” Addressing an audience of coastal state officials, maritime experts, security chiefs, lawmakers, and traditional rulers, he lamented the lack of support for Bakassi’s displaced population.

“We talk about international cooperation, yet the people of Bakassi have been left behind—forgotten by both the international community and the Nigerian state,” Odey declared. “Since the unjust and unholy ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula in 2012, our people have been living as strangers in their own country. It is an affront to justice and humanity.”

Odey painted a bleak picture of the neglect faced by Bakassi inhabitants, citing the absence of meaningful intervention from national or international bodies. “That area has been abandoned without a single form of sustained support—no international assistance, no African solidarity, no tangible action from our own national government,” he said. “We cannot, in good conscience, continue to hold conferences and issue communiqués while a whole community languishes in despair.”

The Deputy Governor urged the new Nigeria International Coastal Border Platform to prioritise the plight of Bakassi people. “May these deliberations inspire innovative solutions, foster unity, and pave the way for lasting partnerships that protect our oceans, respect our borders, and restore dignity to the displaced,” he said.

The summit, opened by Akwa Ibom Governor Pastor Umo Eno, drew a high-powered delegation including the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, the Chief of Naval Staff’s representative, lawmakers from coastal states, and community leaders. Discussions covered maritime governance, border security, and climate resilience, culminating in a 10-point communiqué endorsed by deputy governors of key coastal states.

Deputy Governor Odey concluded with a poignant reminder: “We can protect our waters and secure our borders, but if we fail to protect the humanity of those who call these borders home, we will have failed in the very mission that brought us here.”

The Nigeria International Coastal Border Platform Summit now carries the weight of Bakassi’s story — a call to action that can no longer be ignored.

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