Nigerian Military To Begin Bakassi Withdrawal
Nji Che - All Headline News Staff Writer Calabar, Nigeria (AHN) - Nigerians living in the Bakassi peninsula, a strip of land disputed with neighboring Cameroon, were angered on Thursday after the military confirmed plans to begin gradual withdrawal from the oil-rich area this week. Reacting to the news, more than 200 students from the peninsula invaded the Cameroonian Consulate in Calabar, Cross River State and forcefully lowered the neighboring country's flag there. They insisted on their right to self-determination and accused the United Nations of forcibly joining them with a nation against their desires. The International Court of Justice on July 10, 2002 awarded the controversial peninsula to Cameroon, a decision Nigeria has accepted to implement. The protest took place at about 9 a.m. local time while the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, was meeting with the State Governor Mr. Donald Duke. Reports say there was no police presence until at about 12:44pm. The Police team, which was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lasisi Salami, arrived at the consulate with three pick-up vans of policemen and made attempts to arrest some journalists who had gone to the consulate to confirm the incident. The Inspector-General had visited Bakassi peninsula to address the police personnel on duty there. The Bakassi Students worldwide, drawn from different higher institutions, were led by one |
