WHO

owns BAKASSI?

ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

BY

t.:TliBOM (DR.) EYOOKON AKAK

lf'E

SINCI!~RE~Ll"

,4.ND SOLEMNLY DEDICATE THIS

11/0RK

IN MEMORY OF THE FIVE NIGER/AN SOLDIEBS

SHOT
DEAD WHILE ON ROUTINE BORDER DUTY AT

IKANGON

SATURDAY 16TH MAY, 1981 BY CAMEROON

GENDARMES

MAY THEJR SOULS REST IN PEACE.

111

\\ lfO 0\\

'~

8\1\:..\SSI? .-\NIE EN\ ENF. 8..\h.:.\SSI?

II

THEAUTHOR

II

TUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK JDOH ETIM IV. M.A; Ph.D.
_Diploma SO:Cial Science (Prague) hails from Mbiabo lkot Offiong Et~n A:ni

'" Odukpam Local Government Area of the Cross River State of Nageraa.

lle is Etubom-Obio Mbiabo lkot Offiong Eton Ani. a product of lkorofiong

Chwxh of Scotland Mission School in I 939. Hope Waddeli Secondary School in

1943 and Charles University founded in 1348 in Prague. Czechoslovakia in
1972. His Profile is fuiJy carried in his earlier Work on EFUTS:
DISINTEGRATION AND INTEGRATION. published in 1998. As a Social

Scientisr. Economist. Historian. Author and Publisher. he has so far produced

dozen publications as foJiows:1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.
7.

Bribery & Corruption in Nigeria: Kajola Press. Jbadan 1953.

Our Labour Movement: Nooremac Press. Munshin. Lagos 1963.
A Critique ofOid Calabar History: Barose Printing Works. Calabar
1981.
Efiks ofOid Calabar Volume I: Efik Origin & History~ Barose Printing
Works. Calabar 1981.
Efiks ofOid Calabar Volume ll: Efik Language & Grammar: Osko
& Sons Printers, Calabar I 981.
Efiks ofOid Calabar Volume 111: Efik Culture & Superstitions: Paico
Press. Calabar I 982.
Efiks ofOid Calabar Volurne IV: Earliest Settiers in Calabar from
14th century & Their Claims over Calabar: Pa1co Press. Calabar

1983.

8.
9.
10.

11.
12.

The Palestine Origin of the Efiks: Akak & Sons. Calabar 1986.
History ofOdukpani Local Government Area: For Publiestion by
Odukpani Local Government Council. 1990.
THE QUAS: Origin & History; Akak & Sons. Calabar 1995 &
Reprinted I 998.
EFUTS: Disintegration & lnte2ration: Ekikak Works. Calabar 1998.
WHO OWNS BAKASSI? EdiJ:rnph Cunununilariun~l919l

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

Etubom (Dr.) Akak ldoh Etim IV is ADAHA MBIABO IKOROFIONG

A. M. 1.; a chieftaincy title conferred on him by Etubom Offiong Etim Offiongof
Mbiabo lkot Offiong Eton Anion31st October, 1981, and also ADA-IDAHA KE
EFIK EBURUTU conferred by Edidem Otu Ekpenyong EfaiX, Obong ofC'alabar
& Grand Patriarch of the Efiks on 25th November. 1988. As Etubom-Obio. he
was traditionally selected on 28th November, 1993 by Eton Ani Royal House after
the death of Etubom Offiong in 1988, presented to the whole Community on 19th
December, 1993. screened by the Western Calabar Efik Clan Council on February
19, 1994 and again on April 14, 1994. The Etubom Traditional Council headed by
its Chairman, Etubom Itam Eyo lbitam still decided for a third screening by the full
council with invited members ofEton Ani Royal House in attendance on 12th July.
1994. and thereafter. was the fourth exercise as the final by the Chieftaincy
Committee ofthe Obongs Council on 7th December. 1994.
Upon these all. Etubom ( Dr.) Akak went through these hurdles with
excellence, and was finally inducted and capped by Edidem Boco Ene Mkpang
Cobham V. Obong ofCalabar & Grand Patriarch ofthe Efiks on 12th Decembcr.
1994 in his Royal Palace as Etubom-Obio Mbiabo lkot Offiong Eton Ani Ukpong
Atai and Member of the Obong's Royal Court and Council of Efik Kingmakers.
Etubom (Dr.) Akak is also an Ekpe Efik lboku Title Holder of OBONG OKUAKAMA. a super Ekpe Efik lboku Title. a dual Family Hcad of his Paternal and
Maternal Families of Okon-Anwan Eton Ani and Ma Edem respectively and
Member of other renowned Efik socio-cultural societies. quite distinct from secret
cults. He is a Christian born into a christen home on 9th January, I 920 as a
motherless orphan from seven months. but grcw up under the care of his aunt. late
Madam Afiong Efiong Eton. who instantly became a denr and loving mother to
him. very kind. generous and sympathetic. a Good Samnritan. and indeed, a Godsent Mother in a million she was to him.
Today. that sevcn-month orphan. nursed. nourishcd. trained and educated
by her._ is Etubom (Dr.) Akak ldoh Etim IV. M.A; Ph.D: who ~~per ardua ad astra
has climbed the steep and high hills of life through storms. rains and thunders to
become finally. an Orphan-Doctor of Philosophy and Ada-ldaha ke Efik Eburutu.
the first in Mbiabo lkot Offiong Eton Ani in both cases. GLORY BE TO GOD.
for with HIM. all things are possible.

WtfO OWNS 8AI\J\.3J .... _ .

:I

Tllt' A l'THORd rOl-'RREPRESE.\T._.TJJ 'ES

_ .... ,. ,-- {.
, OFTHEFOl'R
1/0l'St.:~ Of" .\/BlUIO /KOT OFF/0.\'(i AFTER
1.\'})l'CT/0.\' .-fS t:Tl'BO.tl. 111 2-9J.

vi

ETUBOM (DR) EYO OKON AKAK

II

PREFACE

II

HO OWNS BAKASSI? Is a Critique of the 1885 - 1913 AngloGennan Treattes and the 1975 Gowon-AhtdJo Aceerd in the NgenaCameroon Boundary Dtspute, which has evoked mtemattonal mterests,
comments and general concem as it continues to create more problems for both
countries and the world commun1ty Ifthe tempo ts not arrested m ttme, rt mtght as
weil escalate mto what might likely be termedas 'BAKASSI WAR~ whtch can as
well drag in Britain and Germany in defence oftheu former terr1tories of N1gena
and Cameroon respecttvely. This ts why many people, groups, and indtVJduals are
coosciously searchmg for a posstble solutioo, because the world wants peace through
peaceful coexistence with one another.
Admittedly, Britain and Germany ongmated the present dtspute by the1r 1885
Treaty oo the Rio-del-Rey boundary m Bakasst Peninsula, but while b<Xh of them
are now in peace, the two Afncan countries are fighting to a finish. because of the
after effect ofthose disputed and unsettled Treaties and Agreem~nts unsuccessfully
negotiated by them. Therefore, for a solution to the present stalemate, many have
offered ideas, proposals and mdicators, ooe ofwhich is by brmgmg true and authentic
facts ofthe case to the pubhc, either orally or in writing to enable clear Wlderstanding
with a view to knowing where and how to tackle the issue amcably
This pubhcat.Ion. WHO OWNS BAKASSI? Comes m as one of such
contributions, aimed at educatmg both parties to the dispute and/or any other
interested party or indiVIdual, by a critical analysis ofthe contents and prov1s1ons
ofthese Treaties and Agreements along wtth the Aceerd between General Gowon
and PreJ)dent Ahtdjo for guidance and objective conclusion. By this process.
those wtto discover the basis of their claims to be weak, baseless or without
substance or merit shall voluntarily withdraw and/or surrender m favour ofpeaceful
settlement. It is a clear catalogue with cogent facts, abundant evidence and authentic
proofs that point to the inevitable conclusion that the present N igeria-Cameroon
dispute is the aftermath and end-products of the 1885 - 1913 Anglo-German
Agreements and the 1975 Gowon-Ahidjo Accord.
These documents, though declared null and void by the principles of
International Law, still leave the ghost of their irnage behind to cause and create
confusion~ troubles and problems over the ownership of Bakassi Peninsula. dut,
this work has however, shown transparently and vividly that the Peninsula has
been, is still and forever rema~s an Efik territory in the Cross River State of

vi

WHU UW"'!S BAKASSI? ANIE EN\'ENE BAKASSI?

Nigeria within the territorial boundary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. as

confirmed by renowned and learned Historians. Academiclans, Intellectuals
Journalists. Research Consultants and Professors. who arc herein quoted with
their works cited, for the purpose of authenticity, credence and credibility.
This is so because our research started the ball rolling locally first. when the
State Boundary Committee with the enlightened elements and some historians
held an urgent and important meeting in April, 1996 to discuss issues and matters
affecting Bakassl, then in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the Cross River
State of Nigeria. We were there with relevant documents and materials at our
disposal. and certainly. we discussed a Iot with programming. planning and logistics.
Before t~ in 1993 the State Government had earlier requested a few of us to
produce a comprehensive Memorandum on Bakassi for a close study. and this we
creditably accomplisbed within time Iimit to the satisfaction of the Government.
This was followed in 1994 by the Abuja meeting of the Committee set up by the
Head of State on Bakassi. to which the Author was delegated to represent the
Cross River State Govemment. But on his arrival at Abuja. the meeting was later
postponed because of other engagements.
Our intensive research continued in 1995 with a request from the NigeriaCameroon Border Dispute Panel. located in the Federal Ministry of Justice. Lagos
for a Documentary Memorandum on the Nigeria-Cameroon Border Dispute in
three parts as follows:-

Part 1:
A thorough Examination ofthe Nigeria-Cameroon Border in 1913 i.e. pre
1913 Berlin Conference and the 1913 full deliberations, the events of 1914
prior to outbreak of the First World War and the status of Bakassi; and
then t"e Question, "Was German proposal to take over Bakassi actualised?

Part 2:
The Gowon-Ahidjo Agreement supposedly transferring Bakassi to
Cameroon and how? Examine events of 1974 and 1975, then effect of
Murtala take over and the repute or rejection.

Part 3:

Akwa lb<'m's claimtobe on administration from Eket. Whe~ How and

Where is the hidden agenda?

"My ,egards to you as a notable and competent historian ".

ETUBOM (DR.) E\'0 OKON AKAJ(

This request was received on 27th June, 1995 and within one week on Sth
July. 1995 the anticipated Documentary Memorandum was ready for delivery to
the Chief Research Consultant, whose Ietter of acknowledgement, dated 28th
July. 1995 reads:

"Piease accept 119' profound gratitude jor providing me very lrelpflll

material on the Bakassi investigation I am currently lrandling. I
conjirm that you are a treasure not only to the Ejiks but to Nigerlll
our Fatherland. May God grant you many more years of 11Seflll
service to the nation and mankind. .... "
These three documents - the 1993 request of the State Government, the
1995 Memorandum to Lagos and the 1996 production for the State Boundary
Committee are here merged and elaborately enlarged with much more inputs to
make this work highly resourcefut rich. logistic. authentic, and indeed, a masterpiece
of erudition for human consumption. It leaves no stone untumed, or untouched in
searching deep down to the root of the Nigeria-Ca1neroon boundary dispute by a
thorough examination and analysis of events. facts and details leading to the
immediate and remote causcs ofthe problem. Significantly, it however credits the
1885 Treaty with a pass mark. but does not endorse the defects and anomalies of
the later Treaties and Agreements with particular note on the 1913 document on
the Rio-dei-Rey boundary cpisode and the 1975 Gowon-Ahidjo Accord on the
alleged transfer of Bakassi to the Camcroons.
In consonance with the above facts, the Obong-in-Council was accordingly.
equal to the task in his highly comprehensive Documentary Memorandum to the
United Nations Fact Finding Missionon the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary dispule
in 1996. This Memorandum was a real eye-opener to the Mission when it arrived
Bakassi. and also a testimony of truth that Bakassi and the Efiks are inseparable
components in the history ofthe Peninsula. We are today living witnesses to what
followed after all these Memoranda and human efforts and resources to put Bakassi
finnly on the map of Nigeria, and obviously, the Federal Govemment of Nigeria
has done the right thing in creating BAKASSI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
of the Cross River State of Nigeria in the Peninsula soon after the GOODWILL
MISSION of the United Nations. Yes! Seeing is believing. and the taste of the
puddinglies in the eating as confirmed in both cases by the Missio~ that came and
saw and conquered with satisfaction that Bakassi is for the Efiks.

ThenWre, dlis wortc u a wbale. maanani"'CNSlycarries BAKASSI ~

bish ftom the statt to die ead u a boaafide territOly ofthe Efiks, the Croa ~
State aad NipiU. Ourthaab, smtitude and appreciatioa go to all tb011e who hat.
CGDtributad to the pmductic:m and publicatiaa ofWBO OWNS BAKASSif "'.

tpecW boaour to tfae wfa01e worb ad pubJications are herein cited llldt._
prodw;ed. P die book, ~ iJ aood Iude BI aiJ die t.lt.
:
E.

a.aa,

Ctilu,
l8luaJy 9, 1999.

t41/1'HOR "-f .l/J..f.J/U/1.4 16 6,11 6l'Nl'nl, CONn/UI8D r N./1.11. DJ/Dal OTV &
MJUJIOli.\T RUI.8' Q/WI/J 114Titlt4111 OF TIII6FID O.V JSTH NOJ'DIMR. 1

1 Jl

ltTUBOM {DR.) ltYO OKON AKAK

PAGE
~CID

............................. ............ .......................

11le .A.I6ar ... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. ... .... ....... .. .... ... ... ............. ... ..

.,.c.

ii
iv

"''

-1.

INTRODUC'FIOJ'.:................ .. . . . .. . . .. .. . . . . ... . .. . . . . . .

HISTORY & LOCATION ................................... ..

.;.~

ANGLO-EFIK TREATY & DECLARATIONS ..... .

Jv.

ANOLO-GERMAN TREATIES. 1885 cl 1886 ..... .

16

V.

ANGLO-GERMAN TREATIES 1890 & 1893 ...... .

21

VI.

ANOLO-GERMAN TREATY 1913 ..

27

VII.

1913 TREATY ANALYSIS

33

i. n.ty

~~-

... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. ...

33

. Fowler's Demarcation Attempts ........

34

i.Protelt apinst 1913 Treaty . ... .. . .. . .

39

VDI 1913 TREATY IN NIGERIA-CAMEROON DISPUTE

42

Britilb Mandate for the Cameroons

4-5

c.m.roon Attrocities in Bakassi

46

i Protim & Petitions Against Cameroon Attrocities

50

IX.1975 GOWON!AHJDJO ACCORD cl

AKWA 180M CLAIM.............................

X.OBONG'S SUPREMACY OVER BAKASSI

56
64

xa

UII.SSJ? A.NIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

WHO OWI'IS BAn-n

Lter to Oba1g

i.

ii. Obong's Reply.

iii Lter to Persamel Manager
iv Obong's Acknowledgement.

v.

Facts~

VJ.

Our Brother 's Keeper

XI.

XII.

68

Comments

69
7()

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION ...

i.

Summary & Marua DeclaratJon ...

iJ

ConclusJon ..

79
79
84

REFfRENCES & LITERATURE .

88 -

APPENDICES
Antera Duke 's Record of I 786
li.

Anglo-Eflk Treaty of September I 0, 1884

111. Declaratons of Efut, Idomb1 & Tom Shott m

September, 1884 ..
IV

II

Protest from S1r Claude Macdonald to German

Govemor, 1894.

Mission Map of Old Calabar....

VI.

Fowler 's Letter to Claude Macdonald on his

Demarc.ttJon line ................... ..

VII. BtJlc ViJJages & Settlements in Bakassi Peninsula ......... .

12

20

37
41

E.TUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKA

raft Prefettora\ Order Changms. Names of

.f\K V1\\ages.. .. . .

54

Bakass\ 'Tradit1ona\ Counc1\'s Letter to Obong of Calabar

72

Bakass' Nat1ves Assemb\y"s Letter to Personnel Manager

74 ..

PHOTOGRAPHS
uthor

l\efLu\u Bnggs w1th Etubom Tradrttona\ CoWlctl

he Obon\!. of Ca\abar

76

Ii

l. INTRODUCTION

II

W H O OWNS BAKASSI? Tius 1s the questton that moves the world

round, and for those who do not know the answer, BAKASSI..is an
Efik terntory that went under the control and protection of Britain in
the 1885 Anglo-Gennan Treaty ofthe 19th CEntury scramble for Afnca by European
Nations m thetr fmal partttton ofour BLACK CONTINENT Rto del Rey, m the
htstonc document was acknowledged and accepted by both as the mtemattonal
boundary between them wtth Gem1any on the east wtth the Cameroons, and Britain
on the west wtth Ntgeria expandmg from north to the GulfofGuinea 111 the Atlant1c
coast in the South
lt would be recalled that earller on September I 0. 1884 the Anglo-Efik
Treaty had been Slbrned in wh1ch Her MaJesty the Queen of Great Bntam and
Ireland agreed wtth the Kmgs, Chtefs and People of Old C'alabar as md1cated m
Arttele I ofthe Treaty of Fnendshtp and Protect1on whtch reads

"Her Maje ...ty the Queen of (ireat llritain und Ire/und, ,t(', in
c.:ompliance with the reque\1 of the King ... ( 'llief\ ancl People t~f ( J/tl
Ca/abar. hereby undertake.\ to extencl to them, anti to the territory
under their authori~l' anti juri.,diction, /rer gruciou." .fcn'ollr ancl
proteLtion ".
Bakasst, bemg an Efik terntory became therefore. dtrectly wtthm the c:ontext
of these 1884 and 188~ treattes. the latter of whtch has now led to senous
controverstes on the Rto del Rey boundary between N1gena and the Cameroons
as to the ownershtp of Bakasst and the Penmsula as a whole But Bntam and
Gennany had struggled by senes of negot1at1ons for a comprom1se from I C>th to
the 20th century in a readJustment of the boundary when the F1rst \Vorld \Var of
1914 shattered mto pteces the last hope m their I Q 13 struggles for a peaceful
settlement oftheir Rio del Rey boundary
llus work ts therefore, an analysts and reVIew ofthe contents and implications
of the 1885 Anglo-German Treaty along w1th other related treattes and/or
agreements that followed later In our opinion, this will certamly bnng out a clear
knowledge and understanding of the real htstory and the causes of the present
conflict, not between Britain and Germnay, but a war between N agena and the
Cameroons over the ownership of Bakassi. We hope that this production with
resourceful mputs of renowned historians, professional authors and jolllnalists as

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON A~,

weil as sctentific researchers will be a very useful document on the Bakass1 con~
and remains for the future a research material for those who mtght be mvof~
with identical problems on treaties and boundanes. We further hold that ,;
consensus in the context of thts analysis is a fatr and balanced account of ~
political, economic and soctal events of the period under reVIew The 0~
Ahidjo Accord of 1975 as another controverstal document 1s equallytreated in fiJ
Our thanks and indebtedness go to all those who have contributed by ~
way orthe otherto the publication ofthis work Espectally, we thank Chief(Pror
Ajato Gandonu, Chtef Research Consultant & Member of Nigeria-Camerao
Border Pispute Panel and his Professional Colleagues m the Institute fc.
Internattonal Relations, Lagos for acknowledgmg our views and contributions a:
useful and helpful in thetr debates and dehberat10ns Tius work is an elaborationO!
those views and contnbuttons of 5th July, 1995 to the Chief Research Consultant
whopromptly acknowledged receipt in hts Ietter of28th July, 1995 with thanks~
appreciation.
We still wtsh that this pubhcatton remains a hving testimony on the Bakass.
history as we further wtsh it all the best m gettmg the world to know the truth a
otherwise in the vanous claims over Bakass1 These are our wishes and the
wtshes ofournatioo for etemal peace, harmony, mutual understandins and peacefu
~xistence between Ntgeria and the Cameroons, who were previously married
as one eountry ofthe colamal era in Black Africa And m fulfilment of our dreams
and wishes, the book now goes wtth the blessmgs and goodwill ofall the nationsof
the world.

Ii

n msroav AND LOCATION

II

AKASSI PENINSULA, geographically extends from the mamland of

the present Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the Cross River State
of Nigeria down to the Gulf of Guinea which empties into the Atlantic
Ocean in the south. Being contiguous With Akpabuyo Landmass, from which it
penetrates out into the Ocean, it would have been better known as AKPABlNO
PENINSULA by then, tf rapid development had been extended to the area at the
early stage of its fonnative period. As confinned from the map of the area,
Bakassi Peninsula and the land of Akpabuyo form a contiguous landr.1ass wrth Rio
del Reyon the east and the Cross River estuary on the west, while the area
between them in the mtddle, extends south into the Ocean as Bakassi Peninsula
lt is a maritime region with abundance offish and acquatic resources and numerous
fishermen.
Unfortunately, the Rio del Rey which was originally assumed in the 1885
Anglo-German Treaty to be a river flowmg into the Ocean was later discovered as
not being a river as such, but a maze of creeks which links up wtth A.kpayafe
River through Ndian Creek (river). The Ndian creek represents the actual ethntc
boundary between the Efiks of Calabar in Nigeria and the Bantu speaking people
ofthe Cameroons. 1 This fallacy in the 1885 Treaty that Rio del Rey was a nver of
80 Miles in length led to the conflict and subsequent negotiations that followed up
to the 1913 review of the treaty But as earlier said, Bakassi hes in the southeastem part of Nageria between the Cross River estuary and Rio del Rey wath a
landmass of about 660 square.kalometres and more than 20 Nigerian villages on
the Penmsula ~
Thus, the coming together of the Cross River and Akpayafe River along
with Rio del Rey into the Atlantic waters creates undercu rrent p lanktons for the
feeding and breeding of the various species of fish found in the area, and Efik<'
being seafarers and traditional fishennen were from the early days attracted to
the vicmity, which remams today a cluster of fish-settlements and villages. 1t is
certainly true as Anene puts it that Efik fishennen founded flsh towns in the
neighbourhood of Rao del Rey. 1 Apart from the fish towns and the fish industr~
carried out there by the Efiks, the extension of the area trade by them to Rio d~~
Rey was according to Nair, of great importance since rt actually modified the trade
pattem of the area. Commenting further. he says: uPerhaps the rise of Duke
Town was connected w1th the development of the Rro del Rey_tra~e.. '
J

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAJ(

Still with Efik trade link in Bakass1 Penmsula, Mrs. Oku also quotes Latham
as saying that, Rio del Rey (Kmgs's Rlver) which had been a traditional Efik
trading post since the days of Barbot m 1600, came under ban when Great Duke
forbade any trading between Europeans and the people there, ostenstbly to prevent
piratical attacks on the Europeans. 5 She then adds that "We beheve however that
the action was motivated by his determination to monopolise the trade here as he
had done in Duke Town. "6
Historically, Bakassi was founded by the Efiks, among whom was Antai
Otu Mesembe Ukpong Attai, who sailed down the estuary of the Cross River m
three canoes from Adiabo Ikot Otu lbuot in the present Odukpant Local Govemment
Area for a fishing expedition whtch landed him first at Abana., Others followed in
the person of Asibong Edem who founded Asibong Town, Ekanem Esm who
founded Ekanem Esm Town and Abana Umoh who had earlier founded Abana
among many others araund the 16th century A D. mainly as fishing settlements or
Fish Towns, according to Anene. Antai Otu Mesembe Ukpong Atta1 htmself
founded Atabong Ikot Otu lbuot after arr1ving at Abana.
Next came the colonization of A.kpabuyo along w1th Bakass1 Penmsula to
the south by the Efik Kings, as a proof that, Bakass1 belongs to the Efiks, as
founder and first to occupy its mamland from the north down to the Atlanttc shores
in the south. That was why the Efiks were able to plant or estabhsh thetr "'EKPE
EFIK IBO KU" there as the1r tradttional symbol of authonty, govemment and control
over the people and the area. Antera Duke confim1s m h1s Dtary on 8th February,
1786 that he on that day, arr1ved Aqua Bakassey to meet Archtbong Duke with
whom he went first in his (Arch1bong 's) canoe to the New Town (Obufa Obio) to
stay for a while at the landing before walkmg up to the .. Palava House'' - Ekpe
Lodge M
He record.s further that on February II, 1786 he was m Coqua Town to see
Archibong with whom he walked to the Cameroon, and having passed through
three httle to'Wlls on the way, they got to the bag town, where a goat was killed for
them. and he was also given 2 rods and I iron, while generally, they had a long
dtscuss1on wtth the people about Arch1bong 's trade with them 9 Thesearefacts to
show that Cameroon ts far away from Bakass1 Peninsula, and to prove also that
the Efiks had lang been assoctated wtth the Penmsula, and to prove also that the
Efiks had long becn assoctated w1th Penmsula - soc1a1Jy, culturally, economically
and pohtacally as the de facto owners of the whole terntor)' See Appendix I for
Antera Duke 's recordmgs as herem produced

\\110 0\\'~\ BAK~\SI'' ANIE ENl'ENE BAKASSI':'

Anene confinna as weil that Rev A Ross and his colleagues who VJsited
Rao del Rey reg1on m 1877 found enough ev1dence that Efik slaves ofthetr Efi.k
Hauses had butlt up for their Efik masters constderable trade stattans m the area
whcre Efik, according to him, was wadely spoken 1" lt was all an Efik Emp1re, as
observed by Aneue, 11 who m hts nuther remark says .. lt ts stgnificant that the
treataes stgned by Hewett wtth the Efik C'htefs m 1884 did not include the coastal
terntory east of R1o del Rey" ':
This may be somewhat or somehow correct since the east by the 1884
Anglo-Gennan Treaty proposal was mttially eam1arked for Gem1any. but even
that, before the anglo-Efik Treaty of September I 0, 1884 was s1gned, two coastal
territones, EFUT (Usak-edet) and IDOMBI, east of Rto del Rey had earlier on
8th and 9th September, 1884 respectively declared the1r loyalty to the Kmgs and
C'htefs of Old Calabar, who were accordingly acknowledged by them as their
Overlords These terntories having declared to be subject to the authonty and
Junsdictton of the Kings and Chiefs of Old Calabar, agreed to accept any treaty
stgned by them as at that tarne, or thereafter, as legally and const1tuuonally bmdmg
on them as thetr subjects. Stt11 after the Anglo-Efik Treaty ofSeptember I 0, 1884,
came another Declaratton by the people ofTOM-SHOTT m the same area. who
also on II th September, 1884 equally accepted to be subject to the authority and
junsdiction ofthe Kmgs and Chaefs of Old Calabar as the other two did
In other words. we can now authentically conclude that the sa1d Anglo-Eft;<
Treaty of September 10. 1884, signed by Hewett with Efik Chiefs did mclude the
coastal terntones east ofthe Rto del Rey, because Article I ofthe Treaty prov1des
that the Queen of Great Brita m & Ireland had undertaken to extend to these
Chiefsand to the terntory under their authority and jurisdictaon her gracaous favour
and protectaon By thts, the coastal territones east ofthe Rao del Rey that declared
as subject to the authority andJurisdaction ofthe Efik Ch1efs were therefore, covered
m the treaty, that came after their Declarations of 8th and <>th September. 1884
TI11s 1s where Anene 's remark nusses the mark

T Hl~ D 1 A R Y 0 t AN T F. n A Il U K E

2!).t.tj86
At 5 a.m. at Aqua Landing; it was a finc mor1~ing so we all
\ia)~ed up to King Ekpc 7o to w.,rk ~t tlw pal:wer house. Scon
afterwards wc }u~arcl that King Egho Sam An1bo h:1d stopped
threc Egboshcrry mcn at thc ri\cr IJccausc~ thry had killcd
onc uf his mcn. After 1 o'clork we hcar that Eg:.lo Young':;
dcar has givcn hirth to a young- girJ :tt Aqua to...-n.

8. 2.1786
At .CJ a.rn. in ArpHl ak.1s5ey Creek; it was a finc morning
and I arrivcd nt Aqua akasscy corraJ at 1 o'do(.k. I fr,und
Archihong l>ukr. and wcnt alon~sidc his canoc. I rook a boltle
ofbc,~r lu drir.k with him and .vc rallcd first at New Town ~nd
Mayl'd al tlu: l;uuliraH n:ul thcu Wt:rtl to liJWII at :J ,,, Iork. Wr:.
walk~d up to tJu: pal:wc;r hou\c to pul thc Grand Ekp~ in tl.c
laouse anti pfayed aiJ night. (.:t"niH:~.J"~r:h wt.nt ;w.;ay with
,()39 sf:l\'rs and TcJ'tJu:r. u
I

11.2.17fi

"".>out 5 a.m. I -... as in Coqua Towa and ;\rchihcmg dcsircs

me to walk up ((J CarncrOP.:\ vith him, so I c.JicJ anu wc pnssctl
3 JJttlc Camcrof~n towns on thc W~!y. \\'e wnlkcd until 1
ocrock ... to gt:t to ..H1g Town. T11crc thry kilkd a go~u and
dashcc.l rnc I inm &Jnu 2 rous. So wc hctrl a Ion~ discussion
with thcm ahout Archibong,s tr:uJing JOods. So thcy paid
a boy sJave and bc-~ger.l us to drink doctor (mcc.!icinc:) with
thcm. So Archibong madc one of his f.1.ther's sons named

Ehetim drink doctor with him. Tfacy <.lash us on<" male cow
tbr thc c.hop. Wc c:srnc down at 6

to bc kilfc:d arul rods

o'clock at night .

Captnin Potrr.r wc:Jt awa~ \Vith 2:l,l slav~.

'73 17B6
.. Wt: camr; a-;!aorc.~nd l ltlok rJnc: gont ,,, rr:akc docrr,r
at my gt)d b<1sin .

Apeendix 1

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON A KA 1\

111. ANGLO-EFIK TREATY AND DECLARATIONS:

S ALREADY noted above, the Anglo-Efik Treaty of Friendship and

Protection, dated September 10, 1884 is of great historical signaficance

since it is directly connected with the present claams and counter-claams
over Bakassi Peninsula. It is equally sigruficant in relation to the Anglo-Gem1an
Treaty of 1885 in the Bakassi dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon Forthis
reason, it becomes necessary to have an inside VJew of tt as to ats interpretattOfl,
implicatton and roJe in the on-going battle over the peninsula.
Side by side with it are the three Declarations also rnenttoned above from
the people within and araund the battle field - the Efuts of Usak-edet. the Idombis
and the Tom-Shott lslanders, all of whom are drawn into the dispute because of
their Declarations, whtch are equally relevant in deten111ning the ownershap of
Bakassi Penmsula The Anglo-German Treaty of 188~ as certainly to be here
reflected along with these documents, which for easy reference are produced
from the Pubhc Record Office F,O, 403/4 7 pages 27- 2Y
The Treaty with the Kingsand Chiefs ofOld Calabar. dated September I0.
1884 is a Nine-Article Treaty with special note on Artlcle I, wherc Her \olaJCSt~
the Queen ofGreat Bntam & Ireland undertook to extend to the Kmgs and Chcfs
of Old Calabar and to the terntory under thear authonty and JUrisdlctron. Her
gracaous favour and protection This documcnt is herem produced m full as
Appendix II. The Efut Declaration came earlier on 8th September. 1884. followed
by that of ldomi on 9th September. 1884, while the Tom-Shott lslandcrs camc
last on IIth September, 1884. lt is worthy to notc that all the threc w1th one
voace say:
u We, our people and country are .ttuh}ec:t to IIre uuthority unJ
juri..diction of the King.~~; anJ Chief.. (Jf ()/J ( 'ulahur. ....

These Declarations are herein produced as Appendix 111. and objecttvely.

they show that Anene 's remark was somehow subjectivc. because as earhcr saad
these coastal territories east of R1o del Rey had themselves declared carlter as
subject to the authority and JUnsdiction ofthe Kingsand Ch1efs of Old \alabar
Being thus subjects to these Chiefs. they automatacally and darectly bccame a
party to the said treaty, that had been s1gned by their Overlords on thetr behalf
The three documents- the 1884 Anglo-Efik Treaty aiQng wnh the threc Declarattons
of 1884 and the 1885 Anglo-German Treaty. bemg histoncally vatal and related. ~.,,,
7

WHO OWNS BAKASSI'! ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

of great s1gruficance because ofthe tnpartJte roJe they have to play in the p~
d1spute between N1gena and the Cameroon over the ownership of Bakass~ il
reflected in WHO OWNS BAKASSI?
These documents arereal test1monies in confirmation that Bakassi PeniJtsuq
in the 1885 Anglo-German Treaty came under Bnt1sh control and protection, ~
t:,at Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain & Ireland in the 1884 Anglo-E~
'fteaty had earl1er accepted to protect the people ofthe areaasHer British p~
SI.Jbjects, since they were aJready subJect to the authority and jurisdiction ofthe
Stik Kmgs and Chiefs of Old CaJabar, wrth whom she signed the Treaty Of
Friendship and Protection in 1884. This is a true statement offact as confinned~
Claude MacDonaJd, the British ConsuJ in Caiabar, in his protest Ietter of 18th
December, 1894 - fifty years after the 'freaty of Friendship and Protection, to the
Gennan Govemor in the Cameroon against the iii-treatment g1ven to ChiefEkanern
Esin in bis EJcanem .tsin Town in the Peninsula.
The Consul in fti.Jprotest Ietter, among other things says:

"Has Mr. Klauss any fault to find with Ekanem Esin a BritiYh
prottcted subjecl, and had he reported the matter to me here,
lrnmediate notice would /rave been Iaken... Ekanem Esin is a British
protec.-ed subjecJ and as such I hold myselfresponsible for his action
shouid Ire /rave done wrong, I will /rave him punished, but I again
beg to prottst most vigorously against the action of Mr. Klaus.~". u
Se~ Appendix IV for deta/ls as Irerein produced

We can therefore, objectively conclude that the owners of Bakassi Peninsula

a-ce Efiks on Etik territory, which was once under British protection by the 1884
kG!c-=flk Treaty, and still we strongly emphasise that Bakassi as a whole is an
F.fik temtnr:' a,; coofinnecf and upheld by a thousand and one authors and histonans,
including Ajomo, who in one ofhis theses writes:

"11 lla.- betn t!J'Iab/islttd by researclt that lhe Efik had long
es/11/Jihlttd on BoiaJs"//?nK btfore the advent of German trader.~
1111.d colonlurs".r~

IaoloeW"O 18 ia No. 11.

'l'rll wiiA Ki..g Md CAit,/1 of 014 c.u..Nr, &pt,_lln 10, 1884.
HER )1~'?11&1 0ao Qu"-oa or tllo Unho4 Kiapom of Grea' Bri'- &Ud lnl&D~
Co.ltorual o&' l&a4&. &a.. cuul '"" Kma aa.J CL.ioC. or ow c.J .. b&a, bcllnl( dNii'CII" .r IIDUD
~::;.1 .:',!,;:":j~~u"._ tllo rvl&lio..,. o(. ~c. &1\d rrien~l~ wbich bau tor eo lonc
Jler Un'-llnlc Maj .. tj laaa nauu:.J aull .. .,,.oio&oll E. D. 11.-oU,

wr

EeC~

';~~t f lf':'j~:;~u. &.~~ ,::.t~~~'"!i..~':;!'..!~' &'!&"!fid

0

.;r~

bw

Oo~ol&l

c.labw ....,.

u.,oa aad OODCJo~~w c..be followuaM' ..Uticloa . -

AIL'J'IOL.H I.

1'bo Kiaa &&.o&! CL .,r.. of Olcl C.lat.or gr and promiM &o rofraUI f,..,.....lorlnK
~~ ~ :!~':i~~;~":,~~.!.f:~:~.C:,'it:,'~~.~~i~~:j~~;~~Y...~~::~:~ l'ower, ucapl.

ARTJOLB 111
h a. ~ ~~ f~.all ud Nd!Uiu J~.ari.Wooo, ~n1 aa4l erimill&l, cner Uru~h
.. wt",u.Jte U41 &Wr pru""''l . '''" l.erriklrT of 0&11 Oa.lalN.r ~ r...niMl w Ucr Ura Laua.aa
llaj;i:!l, 118 IM. .. .,~ ..." 111 ~. Ceu!IJN ur o1ber oOW.r .. 11N ~ ..,1 ,.a..u I'IM*''

(et Tlae~uri.Wit:OA Y UkelfiN reMrn&l to Her ~e1ln \b .. uJ wnwr7

111 OW o.l&bu oYer torwi6a aubjoc,. e.Votlpr Drht.b pro&..o~oa. wbo el&aU be clM.a..a -.o
a... ~...&.d ia lW N61f._OD bri&Aeb au!IJN& uo...boul. ~ ~

All

bel.w...

... anawa .......'-"

..a..

A.BTlO.LB IV.
Jt&.p uul Cblofe ol Old

Oala~r. or lle~Lwceo

l.~~w

kadon, or baLwraon Lho aforal'~ld Kic &Dd Obiora &lall

u~i;l.boaui~ &riboa, wl&ich canuol. bo aouJcd "amicabl1 beLwrcon l.lao Lwo t'arl.i--, baU b.,
~ilue1Uud &o &ba Dri&J.ah Ooua&lar or oi.Jaor officora &pjluiu&ecl lly Bor HraLauoac )4-July
lo.J ccn:iao j~~ru.d;d1oa in OIJ O.labar &.orria.ori.. for U'bilraLion &hd doc:iaion, or fur
r.an,caa.:u4. Tbo wiJ JCIA~ and Olah:l laalJ haYo &.he rigbl. lo ..,pc&J to Hr 14ajalT'
:S.:~r-:~1 of 81.a1.e lor li'ore~a ~Lu-. acaiw.l. &.he docllioa ot llae Oonaular or oU.or

Oll;c-=n.

4.ll.TIOLB V.
Tlw Kin.,.-. aaul OJUeC. ol OJ~ Calat..r l&oroby ea~ac &.o aula&. l.be Bri&&.b Oouu.lar
01 uclau olicon w ibe exocuLioo ol aucla dui.Ma u aaay be AMipaecl lo &bam; UMl.
(ur&~r, to &.C' YpGD &bcir adYiC. ia lll&&.&.en nla&ilfc &o l.hO MaWaMI.. :\UOD of jaaa&.ica, lhe
J.:, Jopc.uCLIL ot IJlo reeoarC4.a of L.b couuLr1, 1.1~ ial.eraLI of coaamcrc, or ia &DJ o~
uuuc:r ia r.:la&iou &o pc..ce, ordu, a~~J l'oocl_IJOYorouaoDL, &Ad lbe ltlaara.l prop~ ~.-r..;~. llj IG appca), ... i.a ~ lY, acaial&. aca.iac .apoa UM adnce or lobe
l ~..,.- Nw oaioDrL

n.'l'lOLD VL

n.. ...a;.cu &Gd ciiJuul of aJJ COUA6riol ru1 frM1t

"'7

fM1V oa &rMe Ja
pul or
1L.: ~ft~&...W. ol 1M ~ &Dei CbW pan.IGIIaan~ .... '-1 a..re laouM ud ,....,_

clk.rtu

'.w. .ucl.,. -- ~ k; . , ~ laA6fl ... OIMIAI.l

___ ---- . -----

F.04Dy~z
--- 100
. _uc(o-PttOIQGIA,HICAHY
iiot to '

a~

W11

S7

lDCloauro 18 in No. 11. .

'l'rH.IJ wil~ King fJIUl Claif/1 o/ Old C"~aHr, B1pttnabtr
JIER }lajc:~aty t.bo Queen or t.uo UniLcd Kin,dom of GreaL
C.u,,rua ol" luclia, &c., an&! Lh"' Kiugo u.nd Chiof of Olcl Cal"bo.l', bc
l.~iuua;f ~Ii .a.t-.an;Lb'"~Wi ~uc r~latioua of. _pce &'ld frienc.labi~ w
c~k.-..1 IIG&.w~ea a.huw ;
l'er Uri~nic Majt~:II.J laa. n&moJ u.ucl U.lJlOint.od E. n. Il~M'
tjr U,"' iglat. of uuin ~ucl Di~Afr... tu cunchultl & 'l'n=~~1 fur l.hia pu
'l'o Mi&l B. U. lhn,~L~. E.q., auJ Luu '"'hl KiP&Y -.Dd Chiefa
... r~.upoa ud coDd~dod Lhe follow&ug ArLicloa : AIC.'l'IOLH I.

Her MMjety \bu Qu-=cu ur a rea.L Dri~iu &.uul lrclu.aul, &c., in

rcquaa. of Lb. K.ia;a, Chic!M, and pcollle ut' OhJ crJ~b&r, JaertSU.Y Ulll

Lu~m, &&ult,o ~U. t.errilur1

pr~.

und\lr Lbcir &oLuLIJorii..Y and juria.dic&.ion, ho

AJJ.TICLB IL
Cl.ai~f of Ohl CMlo.bar agree and promiae
corrulpon&l"ucl!, A'rcooacn~. or 'l'rcAty "iLlJ any for~igu

'l'bo Kin;1 A,&jd

into any
.. ;,~ IJ.&o ioowludi'o ..nd

u.nc~ion

to
na

uf Ucr DriLannic Majc&ll' Gover

ARTlOLB III

18
ARTIOLB
All Mioiatcn of the ClnU.tiAn rcligion ehAll
liDg within tho t.crritorica
'h AforUAid Ki
m fuU protcctioD.
All for"DU of religioua worahip nnd rcli;,iou1
~itoriea of t.he etloreaaid Kinga and uhie

or

rek).

ARTIOLB.
lt" An)' vcaselt abould bc wrcckcd within th4
ofa wiij givc tbem all t.he o.uiatanco in thcir
Alao recoyer ud dcliYer ~ the ,nrncra
I&'Y~.

If there are no auch owncra or Agcnta on t

vered to ~:-._- Briti&b Conaular or otbcr offleer
Tho Kir;..- _1d Ohiefa furLhcr en_gage to dc

,UILI~

f.

0'

. -~tt-1- "O_l_
,.,,,.

IICOID

OtfaC&

403/L;. 7

IQ

fC

'ttQlqGA,.t11\.,

ai,AOOUCIU

IJelaraliofl.

W~. &.hc unclorai 0'1led Kin and Chief of T9m Sbatj

~o~n.l ro~utry, aro aubjccl &.o t.ho ua~rity ancl jurirdicLion oft
f.J.,Luu ; lb&l cannot, thcrelorc, make any 'J'rcaty lYitl D
b"'' d.i&L auy Troat1 tbc .aiJ K inp aud Chief~ gf Ohl Ca)A
OIB"C' it, &Dei Will be, buHliJl;
D"'Ao in kiplic&&e LW. lla
'l'ra~~r, 014 Oa1abar B.iYtr.

.aftcr

OD Ull.

41 of Stpt.cmbor, 1ss
.

(Si&no~)

OD

AD

'Vnncua ~SeN marka of King MG Ohiif1:

(SiptclJ
R. 'V. Ou.~om, Oo ..~Mncltr, Rr .
AIUQVO Eu~OJtG, Mllf"'ffT oJ
D"lar~lion,

'V I, Lhe undcraagucd Kiug &Jul Chief of Efut, uccl

co_~~_try, ~ lllbjccL w Lhe_ au&~ont1 ~tl jw~dicL&on ~f_ ~~

M I . COIU'-ATI CIM&A ..
O&.D CALAIA,

~~er

-r

At., - ' - -

.-4

k--;

.&./, IS..,t.k

" /. ... ~

c...-

-1

..J[~t.ul ~ &

;d

/L#

-.4-

~ ~

4- ..

,/" ~~ ..., ~ ~~ ~ ~

~cjP ~~ /___,I
~,/" ~

_,41

-r7" ~

~ ~--
~ ~

~ L..~.kv ~~ ~

L;
wc.~
I

7/ ~

4 .,

~c/~~4., A'~ /t:Z.u- .;'

F~_;., ;;_, ~~~~ ~ ,.

.tf 'I

,_ -

~~ ~/ ~ ~

~ f-.uJ'/

~~-- 7 ~

...~-..~ 1.!.4: . --f-.A? .H." ~

/Z, ../~
_.k, ~-~

/II

~ ,/j.,... ~

II#'~

d~ a-J,.
tj .,_...;~. ~~ ,_L~ .&" ~

.I'-?--

/f,,k,l~ aM-~ fvz'~-

ti'L.

~ ~ ~ fuJ~ &

~,_.,

!..,.,

~ /4 ~

!~*-" ~'~ ~~ k7 , -~ &.

4 -L-UI ~~ ~ ~4 ~

~ k""

.Iu

b-

ac-c"-t
.ic.~/c. , ~ c u:- ~

_._k-*'

/av,

~ ./a".,~ ~~J ~ /IG,

;4..

~--~-~ ~~) k~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

t~~

I'" 'r. ,"6 ~-~- h~.~

~1'14. -.r.y k
--+ 4,_ h
d

,L_
/J{p

AJ-....~

__,

---

&

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1--

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6~4L..,., ~~ ~

"4

14 ~~~ ~~ 'rf ~
~ ./~ ~/, '"' & ~ 6'd -~

. ~ ~ "''"'- ~ ~ ~.P 1'~~;G.&.n+ .

,/ H-f_.,

er.wJ- J

. J ~ ~- foJ ~ J -

- 44--.uL-

- - ~

&.-".., '

~......, ' / - -

--

~~71~~1/V~
~ ~ Nj~ - - rJ6 Af4 ~
#'/ ~~ L PU~ ~~~ J ~
~
~ U.,.. IJl ~ ~ u;-'-' ,ut....:~~--t'

t:&:r

~ -f~..,

~_,..._

~h{~

10

tJ-L 11 ~
ILr
tf1c~-...A- ~ur~IIJ 1.- h..~~.

&

ll~. .:::r;_~~-w

is ~ 11--~-r'.Y

4d

tJvt---J. ~-1

~--~-41(

4-~ > J

M:J~-r:-- ~--h-4---i,/r-!e
~

Iw '

bbf lviv(f L, 4-~ ~~-- j4 J a!-''"''-.__ ':-! t- /rro

1t..._yz__l i:~OU4'$i 6.:fti~~
tt -~~ t'}-" "frlv-t - lLI.. tL V...~o:rV

'

..

. / /_" /u.~-) ~ ~~,4 ;..~=.--~.

.i.l',...;,t ?,.,._

7---.J "/&

~~ ~- ~~~J,.,.., ~--t;;u;;-..,_ a/ ~- &

I
I
I
~-*' t ec...- MA~ ~ ~ /'-f~-'/'
~;4~~e-

"i

A4_d, ~ ~ .Jd

~cJ~f~.t .J kL~ ~
"""

/''"'Y

-~j, ~m.- ~~..u

~ k h ~.
-fk.

6_11c..-.d~t

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON Alt\~

IV. 1885 & 1886 ANGLO-GERMAN TREATIES

11
ET US continue here to examine in details the contents, significance antJ
implications of the 1885 Anglo-Gennan Treaty to see how it has rea~.
sparked out the conflict between Nigeria and Cameroon as a result oftl!t
1884 Berlin Conference ofthe World Powers, who in their agenda on the partitt~
of Afnca, finally fixed in 1885 the boundary between Britain and Gennany at tht
Rio del Rey Nigeria in the course of this scramble and final partition of Africa
came within the sphere of influence and control of Britain, while Cameroon wern
under Gennany with Rio del Rey as the international boundary between thern
This 1885 Rio del Rey boundary has since remained so w1thout change other than
repeated and fruitless negotiations up to 1913 for a change or variation.
S1r William Geary in his book, NIGERIA UNDER BRITISH RUI.. E,
pubhshed in 1927 with a reprint in 1986 in confinnation and support says:

"The coasta/ boundary between English and German territory was

futd at Rio del Rey and Germany recognised as British a/1 territory
between Rio del Rey and the Co/ony of Logos. The hinterland
boundary w11s subsequent{v defined up to Lake Chad in a .~traight
line with a bend to include Yola as British ".

From Anene we also gather m confirmation of the a bove that the

Anglo-Gennan negotiations agreed on Rio del Rey as the eastem terminus ofthe
British spheres of influence on the Atlantic littoral in 1884 when Lord GranviJle
was the Brittsh Foreign Secretary. This area as he says, was dominated by the
Cross River and its estuaries~ 1~ and Bntain in her view, was out to safeguard what
was assumed to be the Efik Commercial Empire Consequently, they agreed on
the Rio del Rey-Cross River botmdary, which was readily accepted by Gennany
in the treaty they signed on 16th June, 1885 1 ~

16

WHO OWNS

BAKA~SI'!

II

ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

THE 1885 TREA1Y

II

efore signmg the 1885 Treaty after their negotiations of 29th April6th June. 1885 to define and/or determine their areas of authority
and influence in the GulfofGuinea and intenor district as embodied
in the AGREEMENT NO 260 between Great Britain and Germany, relative
to the1r respective sphere of action m portions of Africa, Earl Granville in
his daspatch of 29th April, 1885 from the British Foreign Office to Count
Munster wrote as follows:-

"ln my note of 19th ultimo, I have the honour to forward to Your

Excel/ency the draft of a Memorandum ofAgreementfor separatlng
and deflning the spheres of action of Great Britain and Germany
in those parts ofAfrica where the Co/onial interests of two countries
might conjlicL In the subsequent negotiallons it has been notlf~d
that the German Government accept the proposed Agreement with
certain modiflcations. I am consequently now in a position to state
that Her Majesty 's Government are prepared, on receiving the assent
of the German Government, formally to adhere to the following
Agreement".
Upon acceptance of this proposed Agreement by Gennany, the two Parties
consequently, got themselves bound by signmg the 1885 Treaty where:

"Great Britain engages not ,o make acquisitions of te"itory, accept

Protectorates, or interfere with the extension of German lnfluence
in that part of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, or in the interior
di.~tricts to the east of the fol/owing line, that is, on _the coast, the
right river bank of the Rio del Rey entering the sea between 8-42'
and 8 46/ongitude east ofGreenwich; in the interior a linefollowlng
"the right river bank of Rio de/ Rey from the said mouth to its source,
thence striking direct to the left river bank of the 0/d Ca/abar or
('ro.~s River, and terminating after crossing that river at the point
about 968 1 of /ongitude east of Greenwich, marked 'Rapid' on the
Engli.~h Admiralty Chart".

17

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON Ak..\~

Then follows also stmultaneously, where

"(iermany engage.lfi not to make ilcqui.'iition.\, at,:ept Protectorate... ,
or interfere with the exten'iion of riti'ih injluence in the c:oa.\1 of
the (iulf of (iuinea (l'ing hetween the right rber hank of the mouth
of the Rio del Rey, as aho~e de~crihed, und the llriti.'ih ( 'olony of
J..agos, nor in the interior to the we~t of the line traceJ in ihe
proceeding paragraph ". 17

Germany, from all mdtcattons, dtd s1gr1 thts htstonc R1o del Rey boundary
Treaty as confinned by records, Histonans, Authors, Joumalists and Na1r among
several others. who by confinnatJon says
urhefiveyearsfollowing the e.'itablishment ofthe Protec:torate pa.'t.'ied
by uneventful~~ and the administration during that perioc/ c:ame to
be referred to as q paper Protectorate. The Headquarters of the
Protectorate, which was deflned to include the coastline hetween
Logos and the right bank of the Rio del Rey and the banks of the
Niger from J..okoja to the sea were at Colabar - /Juke Town ''."

1lus 1s the 1885 Angle-German Treaty - the R1o del Rey boundary
treaty between Bntam and Germany, and the treaty that stands the test of
t1me, w1th full text of its contents m its true perspecttves herem produced for
easy reference 1t 1s now one hundred and fourteen years since it was duly
signed by Britain and Germany, but still stands as the Rock ofGibraltar and
a living witness and testimony in the Nigeria-Cameroon dispute. All
~gotiations by both parties, efforts, struggles, threats by Germany, and not
even the two World Wars of 1914 and 1939 triggered by Germany could
nullify, change, or alter 1t, other than provisional and administrative procedures
agreed, adoptea and apphed by both parties to it. This and the subsequent
ones and the Agreements are the remote causes of this dispute.

WHO OWNS BAKASSI? ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

Ii

THE 1886 TREA'IY

nfortunately, as earlier said, within just one year of stgnmg the above
treaty, Germany demanded for the extension of the boundary line
further mto the hinter land of the British sector, and between June 21
and August 2, 1886, a supplementary AGREEMENT NO. 263 was reached
for the extension ofthe boundary hne from the point on the left bank ofthe Old
Calabar Raver or the Cross River where it originally tenninated to contmue
daagonally to a pomt on the nght bank of the River Benue to the east of, and
close to Yola 1'J Tius could not gave Germany what they really wanted, especially
when at was later discovered that Rao del Rey dad not cover 80 miles in length
as earller envasaged an the 1885 Treaty. This again called for funher
negotiataons, whach could never solve the issue, since Britain stood firm by the
origmal Rao del Rey boundary She cla1med that the land was the1rs by the1r
treattes w1th the Kingsand Chaefs ofOid Calabar, and honestly with all sincerity
saad.

'"lt a/1 helong... to Old Colabar Chief..... it i... also importuni thut the
trading frontier.tt of the Calabree middlemen .\hould a.\ far U.\ po...:dhle
he repeated in the international .ttettlenrent ". :a
Therefore. m the hght ofthese exposures, the 1885 Anglo-German Treaty
on the Rao del Rey boundary remains unchanged. nor altered 111 sp1tc ofGennan
moves and attempts at vanous stages, time and penod from 188t-.- 1888 to have
at changed during the1r abort1ve negotiataons. Bratain was certamly adamant.
while the Germans were leaving no stone untumed in their desperate efforts for
a change, re-adjustment, or any concess1on to allow them an mch of land w1thm
the Penmsula lt was ne1ther easy nor possible because a Iook mto the Map THE MISSION MAP OF OLD C ALABAR. produced for example. b~ thP
Edinburgh Geographical Institute and John Bartholomen & Co. clearly ind1ca1e~
Gennan terntory to the east of R1o del Rey as a tmy port1on of land followmg the
north-east straaght line demarcation into the Cameroon terratory
On the other hand. the same map shows the Bnt1sh territory as covenn~
the whole of the Peninsula from the south to the north w1th Efik vtllagcs ant.
towns evenly spread all over the area This. as a matter of fact. should be
transparently clear enough for those claimmg ownersh1p of Bakassa to recons1der
their respect1ve claams The sooner th1s 1s done. the better. othcnvtse, ::~ny amount
fC)

ETUBOM(DR.) EYOOKONAJ<.4 1

ttme and energy mvested in a fnutless Iitigation, nationally or intemationally, llla,

eqw11/y end up as wasted resources, efforts and endeavours. lt all amounts ro;

frllltless venture
Smce Gennany cou/d not succeed m the1r 1886 - 1888 negotiations for 4
changc. we can still go into further developments that followed before and alter
rhe F1rst Wor/d Warm 1914- /9/8, when Gennany unfortunately lostalland allar
ehe end ofthe war, mcludmg Bakassi Penmsula as shown m Appendix Vherem
produced. TI1e next Chapter opens with Gem1an full detennination to have a foa.
hold m the Peninsula w1th a shlft from Rio del Rey to Akpayafe R1ver. but Brita~
dJplomatlcal/y offered them a Greek g1ft. w/Jich eventually could not satisfy the1r
~~eammg and objectlve

1, ,

.L

'

j~~ ~Obon
~
Hfl/s

J, 't4W~. ng

a~

Roplds

\\110 0\\~\ BAI\-\~~1'' .-\~JE EN\ t:NE BAKAS~I'!

~1890 & 1893 ANGLO-GERMAN TREATIES

ERMANfrustration on the shafting ofthe Rio del Rey boundary westward

m Bakasst Peonmsula contmued wath further conflicts mspate of Brittsh
concessaon to allow them a breathmg space to the north ofthe Penmsula
in their prov1saonal Agreement of 18R6 - 1888 Efik traders m the area were badly
treated as Gem1ans destroyed thear goods. and drove them away The conf11ct
contmued to 1889,: 1 before the 1890 AGRE~MENT NO. 270 came to solvc the
issue. Butthat dascovery of Rio del Rey as not nmnmg deep mto the hmterland
temtory ofthe Peninsula as previously misconceived in the original 1885 demarcataetl
lme, actually gave rise to a provasaonal lme of demarcat1on being drawn from the
head ofthe Rto del Rey direct to the pomt about 9"8 1 oflongitude east ofGreenwtch.
marked ~Rapid' in the British Achrairalty Chart, as per Article IV (2) ofthe above
mentioned Agreement of 1890, dated Ist July, 18QO, and it reads:

"lt haling heen prolecl to the .'tati.ifaction of the two Power... that no
ri"er exists on the (,'ulf of (iuinea C()rresp~Jncling with that murheJ
on maps a... the Rio de/ Rey, to which referen(.'e wu., nuule in the
Agreement of /885 (N(). 26fJ), u prln'i.'tiontll line of tlemar(.'ution i.\
adopted betwee.n the (ierman ...phere in the ( 'ameroon.'t und the
adjoining Hritish ~phere, whic.:h .'tturting from the hecul of the Rio
Je/ Rey Creek, goe.\ direc:t to the point, ahout 9''8 1 of ea.~t lonJ:itutle.
mur/u~d 'Rapid' in the ritb;h Aclmiral(l' ("hart".::
Specifically, Gem1any in that 1890 Agreement had wanted the shiftmg of
the demarcation line westward from the Rio del Rey to Akpayafe (lkang) Rtvcr ..
but Bntam on1y agreed for a likely concession tentatively and conditionaJh that thc
navigable channe1 of Akpayafe River would follow through to thl! sea-: ana ti1c
channel was alsotobe considered as 1ying east ofthe combined Cross Rtver and
Calabar channel As (.;sual, there was no consensus and so the contltct contllw
to-drag on when m 1893, another attempt on the modificataon ofthe boundary lmc
by revievmg the 1890 Agreement in line wrth its Article IV (2) abo ..e was constdcr~d
necessary

t.

II

THE 1893TREATY

DVIYI \LIK.}

~ YO

OKON AKAJ(

II

t thts stage. the t\vo Powers, having agreed for a further review, did enter
mto _fresh negotiattons whach resulted an their signing of another
AGREE\IE~T NO 273, dated -14th ~nl, 1893 at Berlin bythe following:.

_,

-t

l11e Honourable P Le Poer Trench. Her Britannic Majesty's Charge

d'Affatres and First Secretary of Embassy
Str Claude Macdonald. Her Britannic Majesty's Commissioner and
Consui-General ofthe Oll Rivers Protectorate.
Dr Kayeer, Privy Councillor, Chtef ofthe Colonial Department of
the Imperial German Foreign Office.
B Von Schuckmann. lmpenal Councillor in the German Foreign
Office

l11e three-Article Agreement Preamble reads: uThe Understgned. After dtscusston of vanous questions affecting the fiscal interests of
Gennany and Great Bntam m their respective territories in the GulfofGuinea and
wtthout preJudtce to the condttions laid down m Section 2, Article IV of the
Angle-German Agreement ofthe Ist July, 1890 (NO 270), as also the conditions
latd down m the Anglo-German Agreements of the 29th April/ 16th June, 1885
(NO. 260) and the 27th July/2nd Au!:,rust, 1886 (NO 263). have come tothe following
Agreement on behalf of their respecttve Govemments".
-\rticle 1:

l11at the pomt named 111 Sectton 2, Article IV of the Anglo-Gen11an

Agreement of Ist July, 18QO (NO. 270). as the head or upper end of the
Rio del Rey Creek shall be the pomt at the north-west end of the island
lymg to the west of Oron. where the two watervvays, nan1ed Untfian and
lkankan, on the German Admtralty ('hart of 188Q - QQ n1eet.
ticle II:

From the upper end of the Rto del Rey to the sea. that is to say. in the
promontory marked \Vest Huk pn the above-ment1oned Chart, the right
b;mk of the R10 dcl Rev watcrwa~ shall be the boundary bet\\ecn Oil
Rl\ers Protectoratc and the Colon~ of the Cnmcroons.

WHO OWNS BAKASSI'! ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

Article 111:
The Gem1an Colonial Administration engages not to allow any trade
Settlements to exist or be erected on the right bank of the Rto del Rey
Creek or waterway. In like manner the Administration of the Oil Rivers
Protectorate engages not to allow any trade-settlements to extst or be
erected on the western bank of Bakassi Penmsula from the first creek
below Archibong ~s village to the sea, and eastward from this bank to the
Rio del Rey Waterway.
This Agreement was signed in Enghsh and Gern1an languages by the four,
whose names are above written, on 14th April, 1893 at Berlin as above indtcated
But soon after the signing of this Agreement, trouble started because, as in the
previous cases, there was no precise delimitation of the boundary hne, and so on
15th November, 1893, another Supplementary Agreement was made in an attempt
tospell out the exact boundary line These Agreements of 1886, 1890 and 18Q3.
according to Ajomo, only sought to correct the anomalies in the 1885 Treaty to
enable the delimitation conform to a physicaltdentifiable and human boundary on
the ground between the ethn1c Efiks ofNigeria and the Balundus ofthe Cameroons
ln his opmion, the 1893 Agreement in particular, has achteved thts objecttve, for
having the vtrtue ofavoidmg arttficia1 spht up ofkinsfo1ks or re1ated comn1umttes.
and of keepmg contiguous terntories together with the use of Rio del Rey as the
demarcatton point. :.,
(J.ttcar Ede, ur /ritt (.YJiltrihutiOir Oll tlre 1893 Agreemellt of 15th Nolemher .\"ll)':\".'
.. Thefultfour Agreeme1rt~ (1 88.'i, I 886, /890 & 1893) lucked the nec.~...~r
demurcutio~rfuc:tors. Exc:eptfor drut of 1~'d' Nmember, I 893 wlriclr uttempted io
proper(l' demurcute t/re urea uffec.ted, ull other Agreeme~rts were bu.\ed mr
u.tt.ttumptioll.\' und could be.'tt be described as 'i~rtrlcute piece of urm-clrair
geogruphy '... Negotiated eitlrer ;" llerli1r or l~o~rdon, ~reglec.1i11g the loc.ul
ru Ier.~". ~J

But this 1893 revised Agreement which seemed to sidetrack the onginally
agreed, acknowledged and accepted Rio del Rey boundary between the British
dominion ofNigeria and the Germandominion ofthe Cameroons in 1885 sparked
out a very serious problern and conflict. lt made Gennan soldiers to break through
the Rao del Rey boundary into the British territory with very Wlpleasant developments
as evidenced in the protest Ietter of 18th December, 18Q4 from Sir Glaude
Macdonald, Her Britannic Majesty's Consui-General at Calabar to the Gem1an
Govemor in the Cameroons, as in Appendix IV already produced.

...,,

t: I U HOM (DR.) EYO OKON AkAk

The Consul-General complained seriously of n1altreatment on the part of

the Gennans ofthe natives ofBakassi Peninsula at the Rio Dei Rey Creek and the
area within Akpayafe River, which he considered tobe a British territory. 8cdt
Powers were struggling to hoist their own flags, while Gennan soldiers and their
Militaryaids were at the sametime killing as many as possible in addition to wanton
destruction of property, especially at Ekanem Esin Town, where the Chief and
~\Jlder ofthc place, as stated in the protest Ietter, was arrested because he refused
{haccept three bottles ofbeer on 17th October, 1894 as enticement to allow Gennan
&tule over his land. The Consul therefore, in has protest letter, made it quate clea'r
tbat the boundary was not demarcated as such, and very strongly protested against
Gennan attrocities iD the territory as he said.

"I am confldent that Your Excellenc.y will .ttee the matter proper(J'
adjusted and tht tluty levled by Herr Klau.-;~, no doubt in ignorance
of exlstlng arraT19.~ents, returned to the Chief und his peop/e, und
thefour armed Rr.presentatlve..; ofthe Kanrerun Colony withdrawn,
also his flag and document returned to him".
On the boundarv which was yet tobe demarcated, the Consui-General concludes
"I have recelved no offlclallnformatl(}n from the Imperial (,'erman
G011us:11ent of the establlshment tJ/ a Cu.tttom.tt .4ilall(}n ot Ekanem
Esln ]own, and I cannot ln any way recoxni.tte the exb;t~nc:e tJ/
such a .tatlon until the dellmltation wlriclt I heliew! i.tt ,,hort~a' ltJ h~
taAen in hantl, /ras /aid down wltere the hountlary ;,,. to he ".
The CoosuJ-General who flled this protest from Calabar. shows clearly that
''r:tain was never yielcling in her stand in respect ofthe 188~ Anglo-Gennan Treat)
~dl geve Bakaui Peninsula to her with Rio Dei Rey as the botmdarv bctween heJ
and Germany. He as ooe ofthe four sayn'lltories to the 18Q3 AgrremcJnt
(No
~73J of 14th April, 18931t Berlin. Wl'l protcsting as anms1der w1th aH fucts. knowledHf
and ucreu of th~ gm'le bdween Sraain and Gcrmany m thc boundary tussle in the
Per~insuta. Otherwise. 'f the Agreeruent he personally signed in 18Q) had 3l."tuaU)
IPtJ the terntory to Gennany. he wouid O(f. ha\-e the courage to boldly and pubhcly
c:nal&cwlp ~~ Omnan antrudtrs in the area fiJ .f1c: cxtent ofdemandang thear nnmediate
~~W. ~~sttll, he bluntly .,1d boldf, refused to recognase Gernlall p~
+\t.t,"'c,as~1n :y ~hy the 1 8S~ Tr:~ '"'bch l1.1s not bt~t replaced by any cdtet
Jmpllc ofnu~l"t'il \greenwuu ~.. 1 p~per. foikwl.l1~ )fle 3n~her at the End offnndess
r.CI(Itaauoos. I~ Yt'al 1il:! fonu of l:Jn:tsh d;.loea~e~ !ll n ~::rallfi st~-te ro tosethe Germans
r--"~~''

24

WHO OWNS BAKASSI? ANIE .ENY ENE BA KASSI~

In the Consuts protestlies the tn.hh that up to the end of 18Q~ there "as
practieally no other treaty to replace the 1885 treaty on the Rio Dei Re\ bounda~
and there was no demarcation line as weil, as there was no,comprormse betv-~1
the two parties. Germany could not be satisfied as long as the bounda~ remame-d
at Rio Dei Rey, and Britain would not surrender her terntonal gams. and so l.hc
tussle continued soon after each Agreement or proposal, because ofthe armehau
calculations, speculations, assuptptions and presumptions UnfonWlately, the I ~th
November, 1893 Supplementary Agreement, thought tobe a rehef. could nor puli
the weight, and the need for another maniputation came wath the IQOo and l QO
Agreements, which still could not solve the boundary problem. We c.an here refer
to them in passing for record purpose and historical reflection

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON.u,

Ii

mE 1906 & 1909 AGREEMENTS

11

efore the 1906 Agreement came to be signed on March 19, 1906,;

Boundary Comnussion was already set up in 1895 for the delimit.atiaJi
demarcation ofthe frontiers from the sea to the Cross River and aiOJ&~
bDWldary The Commissioo submitted its Report in 1906, followed with the si~
~the Agreement on March 19, I 906, by both parties, based on the Repon!
yeceived lt was only au attempt to redefine the boundary with some provisiQ
'br equal rights offishing and navigation on the river boundaries. Still more, indi~
occupying land which was due for transfer to the other Power were free to ehe
which side ofthe boundary they wished to reside Above all, the RepresentatJ~
ofthe two colonial Powers were g1ven the discretion to vary the proVJsionaJ Jine e
mutual agreement if focal condit1ons so demand. 25
Tius 1906 prolfllonal Agreement arising from the Report of the 18~
BoWldary Comnussion and those aJready made from 1886- 1893 were not~
as such, but only modifications, adjustments and amendrnents on the J885 tret
s1gned, stamped, sealed and delivered as the bindmg instrument in respect oftt:
Rio Dei Rey boundary between Britam and Gennany in Bakassi Peninsula. Th
I QQQ Agr~ment on the other hand, only defined the Nigeria-Cameroon boundar
from Yol~ down to the head. of the Rio Dei Rey, and is here just mentioned r
passmg Th~ last in the serie~ of Treaties and Agreements was the 1913 Treaty c
Agreement, which now stands as the most controversiaJ document signed by Brita!
and Germany. lt is here examined and analysed for honest, fair and objecti,.,
comments and conclusion on the Bakass1 dispute arising from the 188!
~glo-German Treaty on the R1o Dei Rey boundary m Bakassi Peninsula.

26

WBO OWNS IIAKASSI? ANIE ENYltNE BAKASSI'?

II

VI. 1!113 ANGLOGERMAN TREATY

ll

HE QUEST by Gennany for a foot-hold oo the west bank ofRio Dei Rey
led to subsequent negotiations and Agreements of 1886, 1890, 1893, 1906
and 1913 which soght to amend the 1885 Anglo-Gennan Treaty forthat
purpose, but not even the one of March 11, 1913 as the last in the series could
achieve for them their envisaged objective. When finally they pressed that the Rio
Dei Rey boundary of 1885 Treaty be shifted westward to Akpayafe (Ikang) River,
Britain, as said earlier, maintained that the navigable channel of Akpiyafe River
be followed to the sea, and be also considered at the sametime as lying east ofthe
combined Cross River and Calabar River channel Germany could not see her
way through, inspite of continued efforts on their part to achteve success and
Iasting solution in the 1913 negotiations.
If they had succeeded to shift the boundary, at would in effect, mean the
transfer of Bakassi Peninsula from Britain to Germany, and from Nigeria to the
Cameroons in the present circumstances, and the transfer of Efik Kmgdom from
N1gena to the Repubhc of the Cameroons This is where the present conflict,
arismg from the 1913 Treaty begins and ends. But all we know so far, asthat the
document was not a treaty as such, and is therefore, neither legal nor bmdmg,
other than bemg a mere controversial document of a wartarne mobihzatton period
that was eventually and eventfully destroyed by the warthat followed immediately
after its production.
Precisely, what has now been estabhshed from the above. is that the two
Powers did meet m 1913 to discuss their Rio Dei Rey boundary problern in Bakasst
Penmsula, and that they mtght have arnved at certain conclusions for their mutual
co-exastence at the boundary area, but whether any agreement or treaty was
sagned or not, is uncertain. Another fact that stands clear ts that, even if anything
was signed, never was there any physical demarcation of the boundary on the
ground, because ofthe time-hmit at their disposal m relation to German involvement
m the Farst World War, whach she started in the Balkans in 1914. Bntain hkewise
entered the war on August 4, 1914, after an ultimaturn to the Germans to evacuate
Belgian territory. :,, Therefore, the mass mobilizat1on by the two Powers for the
1914 World Warmade it not possable for them to achieve their enVlsaged solution
to their boundary issue.
EV1dence shows still further that, international Law demands the registration
ofan mtemational treaty ofthas nature with the World Organizataons but since the
IQ13 document was ne1ther regtstered with the League of Nauons nor the Umted

27

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON A~

Nattons Organtzatton that followed. tts legal vahdity as a binding instrument ts

therefore, non-exlstmg, as it ts accordingly and automatically declared null and
votd Fa1lure also on the part ofthe two Powers to have it fonnally ratified bytheir
respecttve Parhaments as a necessary condttton, equally declares 1t nuU and vold.
Agam, still by International Law, a treaty can be termmated ifthere is material
breach that destroys the central objecttve ofthe treaty by one o~the parties, as it
was terminated in thts case by Germany, who declared war soon aft:er the said
treaty of 1913 Thts m effect, constttuted a material breach that destroyed n01
only the central objecttve ofthe treaty, but also dragged the whole world into a war
ofhuman and matenal destructton. Still on the same basts of International Law,
Germany also termmated the treaty by causmg the war to create a stage of
supervenmg tmposstbthty of pe'tormance, along wtth the fundamental change of
ctrcumstance, from peace to V'ar. 111 both cases to further destroy the central
objecttve ofthe treaty, whtch w.ss thus brought to etemal doom.
Bntam on the other hand, m pursuance ofthe 1914 war occupied Bakassi
Penmsula wrthm etghteen months ofthe alleged signmg ofthe 1913 treaty to keep
Germany away from there 111at action was a clear proofto the world that there
was no treaty that ga_vt> ~.e terntory to Gem1any, and Bntam, havmg signed the
1884 Anglo-Efik Treaty for Fnendshtp and Protection wtth the Kingsand Chiefs
of Old Calabar. had to protect the terntory under thetr control and jurisdiction,
espectally m ttrnes of emergency 111 accordance wtth the treaty, and Bakassi as a
senstttve anct strategtc possesston of the Efiks could not be an exceptaon. The
1885 Anglo-Gemtan Treaty placed Bakasst Penmsula, an Eftk territory under British
protectton, and Bntatn could not and would not gtve it out to another Power without
the consent of the K111gs and Chiefs of Old Calabar, wtth whom she signed the
treaty llte reactJon of these 1\mgs and Ch1efs on the alleged transfer of their
terntory to German) follows m the next chapter
So far. we can now come to the mevttable conclusion that the 1913 Treaty
was unfortunately doomed to dte a natural death as a result of the 1914 wartbat
engulved 1t. and tt must be so. because the year 1913 was itself a war signal year
approaclung wtth the Io 14 war. wluch could not as weil afford the two a chance to
put thc filllshmg touch on thetr IQ 13 treaty proposals. Obviously, the treaty (tf
any), was overtaken and swallowed up by the events ofthe warthat tore Gennany
mto pteces wtth loss ofhves. terntones. property and reputat1on. lt ended in 1918,
and on July I0. Io IQ, Gennan C'ameroon was parutioned between Great Britain
an, France

28

WHO OWNS BAKASSI'! ANIE ENYENE 84KASSI',

So it was, because Gem1any started the war for the Austro-Gennan

dommation of the Balkans, where her General 'Staff' had been wa1ting for an
opportunlty to stnke a blow in the west against France :: But unfortunately,lt the
end of 1t all, Gennany, by the Treaty of Versa1lles of 1918, had to pay for war
indemnity, a tcxal of$6,600 milhoos (Six thousand six hundred millim sterlingpclDds),
and also lost as much as 13 per cent ofher territory, 14 percent ofher population,
14 percent ofher arable land, 68 percent zinc foundries, 74 percent iroo ore and 19
percent coke among other Iosses Above all, she was not pennitted to enter into
any un1on with Austna.~
Here in Africa. her Cameroon colony was battered, shared and swaowed
up by Britam, France and Spam, and equally unfortunate. it ts that th1slost terntory
of Cameroon 1s today claiming Bakassi Peninsula on the basis of the 1913
controverslal treaty, upon which Germany based her clatm over the Peninsula.
But the bas1s 1s rather weak and flimsy, smce the said treaty as a resuJt ofthe war,
~ould not matenahse, and moreso. Cameroon was no more existing as 1 Oennan
terntory, but a common booty of Britain, France and Spain. The treaty in the
Nigena-Cameroon Boundary Dispute, aloogwith British MandatetotheCameroana
comes up later m a separate chapter.
Fu rthennore. the Etubom Tracbt1ona I Council ofthe Royal Court ofthe Obana
of Calabar in its Protest Letter of 6th July, IQ73 to His Excellency, the Military
Govemor, South-Eastem State of Nigeria on Cameroon molestatiant in Bakuai
Pemnsula comments as follows;
'ilt ;_, .figniflcant that the Agreemt!nl of 19/J, ~en tlrourll lt Ieu
not been formerly ratij7ed by the Parllam~nts of th~ Colot~ldltr
European Power.f and could not be sald to have ovenaAen tll rlrla
of the native peoples, still had the great moral resBVatiOif 111111 II
recoxnized Q~j lnvlo/ate the Jl.r;hlnll rlghts of the native pop11llltltM of
the alu....d Peninsula in th~ Estuary ".
The Agreement, according to the Council, saya: "This right mUit remain u
heretofore. andin the final analysis, the Council coocludea:

"The most valid reference from tlrb m11111tll co11c1pt oftltl

Coloniz,ing Powers of tlre tlme ls tluu tlrey GITH to rOJIIIU lW
protect the plrysica/ prDenc~ and occupllllolf oftlr' Peltlul ",
a nathe population. ThlJ native populatlon Will ~~~~ Eflb"."

29

ETUBOM (DR.) E\'0 OKON~t \\

Fmally, as sa 1d ea rl ier, the 1913 treaty, apart from the events ofthe war~

cngulved 1t, lacked proper delimitauon and demarcation exercise, as it merelyrr.

amb1guous references to the direction of the flow of the Akpayafe River lndt
R1o del Rey w1thout anythmg concrete or specific on the actual boundary bdv,~
Bntam and Gennany other than their I885 fixture With this concJusion, we CQJs~
it neccssary to produce here below, a Btrd's Eye View Tab Je ofthe major T~
and Agreements of 1885 - 19 J 3 between Bntain and Gennany in respect of~
negotiat1ons on the1r R1o del Rey boundary problems for easy reference and bet,
understandmg ofthe 1ssue mgeneraland the Nigena-Cameroon Boundary DispL~
mpart1cular

:ASSI? AN1E ENYENE BAKASSI'l

EATIES AND AGREEMENTS BEJWHN BRITAIN

AND GERMANY 1885- 1913

Treaty
NO. 260

RE MARKS

PROVISIONS

TYPE

Rio del Rey fixed as

No specific Iandmarks

boundary between both

~or the boundary,

with Gennany on
theeast
& Britain on the west.

and area
largely swampy and
unmhabitable.

Not precise and based

Agreement Demarcation line
mainly on assumption.
extended from left
NO. 263
bank ofOid
Calabar & Cross Rtvers
diagonally to right bank
of River Benue close
to Yola to extend
Gem1an influence to
the north.
Agreement
N0.270

Provisional
demcarcation
line from head of Rio del
Rey to the point ma rked
.. Rapid" m the British
Adm1ralty C'hart

Agreement Right bank of Rio del

NO. 273
Rey water-way as boundary between 01l Rivers
Protectorate & Colony of
Cameroon.
4.

SuppleMentary
Agreement
NO. 273

As above along with

fixing of ex.act boundary
by using Rio del Rey as
demarcation point

Same as above

--

No prcc1sc defuutton
gtvcn

Slight improvemcnt on
lhe above wllh alten~ to
spell out exact boundary
& attempts on survc~

& markmg

6. 1895

Setting up of Comn1assion to delineate

Comnussion & demarcate frontier
on boundary from sea to Cross River
and along the boundary

Submitted Report in~

& protocols s1gned later
between Brita 111 &
Germany

7. March Agreement
ansmg from
1895
Boundary
Commissaon 's
Report.

Attempt to re define
boundary& provades
for equal fishmg &
na vtgat1on nghts on
R..aver boundanes &
mdagenes also free to
res1de on any s1de of the
bou11dary lme,and
Colonial Powers'
Representattves to vary
boundary lme by mutual
agreemEtrt if local CCildit:Joos
so demanded.

Sam cn Rtpat a ~
Caruniss1C11, it made spearproVISiCilS mthe irterests
native papulanon who were
free to carry on their
trade & choose where to
resade.lt was a good
attempt on re-defining
the boundary line.

8 March

Dehmitation of the
Cross River to the sea

No proper delimitation &

Demarcation exercise
other than reference to
the direction offlow of
Akpayafe Ra ver & Rio de
Rey Again, no ratificatioo
by both Power 's
Parliaments, nor
registration at that time
with the League ofNations

19,19~

11, 1913

Agreement

Source: Qg;:ar Oycne B E.<k: TI1e Nigcrian-Camcroon Boundlri~ Nig:rian Forum. Sqxeuh:d
Q:lcb:r 1981. Pagcs 2% 297. Also 1k mapof Afiica ~, Treaty: \blwnc m~- Hert*Y

From the above production, ooe can easily and clearly follow the trend of
events and developments that went in between the two World Powers in their search
for a peaceful solution to their Rib del Rey boundary problems in Bakassi PeninSula.
We can still follow up With a little m9re of our content analysis ofthe treaties in' tbeir
actual contexts, in conrinua~ion oftlus research for an ope11 verdict.
'
32

\\110 0\\ NS BAI\-\Ci\1', ANIE ENY Ei'E BAKASSI?

lc

VII. 1913 TREATY ANALYSIS

Jl

AVING BROlJGHT to hght all facts and infom1atton about the Anglo
Gennan Treat1es of 1885 - 1913, covering two decades and e1ght weary
years ofstntggles and contlJcts in the scramble for Afnca by Bntalll and
Germany, we would at thts stage continue w1th part1cular reference to the
controverstal 1913 document as to its validity or otherw1se The analysis ts a
direct reflection on tts loop-holes, demarcation problems. protest ofthe Kmgs and
delegatton to London, and goes as follows-

i. TREATY LOOP-HOLES
Treaty loop-holes are indicators as to the reasons and why the I Q13 treaty
was not a treaty in force, as it was accordingly declared null and vo1d on the
followmg grounds a.

The two World Powers, Britain and Germany in their 1884 1885
negottations at the Bismark sponsored Berlin Conferences were not
specifically aware ofthe physicallandmarks ofthe Rio del Rey area they
were scrambhng for, until the conflict got them to know later that it was
largely in some areas swampy and uninhabitable

b.

Not knowi.ng at the initial stage that Rio del Rey was not a River as such
durmg negotiations, as earlier envisaged to have covered a dastance of
eighty miles fr<?Ql the source to the sea, actually made it very d1fficult for
them to reach or have a consensus through out the penod up to I 913
negotiat1ons

Theu dehmitat1ons as a result of thas misconception, were therefore. not

precise, but based mainly on assumptions and presumptions. whtc:h at the
end, hineiered both survey and demarcation operations in the area
Apart from the 1885 treaty, there were no ratific:ations of subsequent
agreements since they were not trea\aes as suth, by both Powers in their
rcspect1ve Parlaaments, and there was 110 reg~ration of any mstrument
wrth special reference to the 1913 document with the League of Nations
(tt that time, ifthere had been a treaty in 1QI3

JJ

e.

The three mtponant processes in the making of a treaty are negotiatiat,

delimitation and demarcation, but in 1913 review, the first two were mereh
built as a castle in the air, while the third lacked the required base and
necessary factors of production for the exercise. lt was at its best, a
mere reference to the direction of flow of Akpayare River and Rio del
Rey creek and nothing more.

f.

These treaties and agreements were initially politically and economicall~

motivated, since the intention of the two Powers was originally not to
create a boundary as such, but mainly to calve out their respective
spheres of political influence and power for economic exploitation of
Africa. These intentions, aims and objectives are accordingly v.:ell
speit out in their treaty documents, where for example, Earl GranVJ11e
m his draft Memorandum of Agreement, dated 19th March, 1885 to
Count Munster m respect of the 18 85 Anglo-Gennan Treaty referred
to "separating and defining the spheres of action of Great Britain and
Gennany in these parts of Africa where the Colonal interests of the
two countnes m1ght conflict"
Here lies the truth, and again, the Preamble to the 1893 Agreement
(NO. 273) s1gned on 14th Apnl, 1893 at Berlm opens with. ''After
discussion of various questions affectmg the fiscal interests of
Germany and Great Britain in the GulfofGuinea .. "

g.

As a matter offact, the 1886- 1906 SupplementaJ) or pro\ 1sional Agreements

did not in any way nullify the 1885 Angl-German Treat) on the R1o del Re~
boundary. otherwise. the two Powers would not haYe gone into further
negotiations agam in 1913 on the same bounda~ issue./rhe IQ13 trea~. tf an~.
can best be descnbed as the most contro\'ersaal document of the centuf). and
being O\'ertaken by the supenenmg unpossibilit~ of performance and tbe
fundamental change of circumstance caused b\' the 1914 war to desrro~ its cenml
objective.as saad earher. bad therefore. been.dedared nutland \Oid,/lt is so far
for the loop-holes, whale others wall be reflected as we move along .

.ii. FOWLER'S DEMARCATION AITEMPTS

t .lt is here still necessary mconfirmaton ofthe treaty loop-holes to share the
expenCilces ofSurveyor AG. Fowler, who in 18Q5 made some attempts to physically
demarcate on the ground the Angto-Gennan boundary in Bakassi Peninsula From

34

WHO OWNS BAKASSI'! ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI'?

his Ietter of Apnl 15, 1895 to S1r Claude Macdonald K. C M G. H 8 M. ffigh

Commssioner at Calabar, y.;e know that all his attempts in 1895 on the ground
demarcation ofthe Anglo-German boundary in Bakassi Peninsula proved aboniw.
1t was so for many reasons which go to confirm the 1913 treaty as belns no vahd
docurnent, since Its valid.ity was nowhere estabhshed.
The Boundary Conuntssion was set up in 1895 as earlier sa~ to
and demarcate the frontier from the sea to the Cross River and Olher parts aJona
the boundary. It submitted its Report in 1906, but evera then and up to 1913, tbere
were no markings on the ground. The Surveyor however, informed the Hiab
Commissioner of his arrival at Ikankan (Ikang) Creek an March 11. 1195 to
demarcate the boundary for a dlstance of eight miles towards the cbreaion of
Ekanem Esin Town, but wtthout success as he could not even start from the initial
j>oint on account ofthe first positlon ofthe demarcation 1ine being on the rnl8I'OW
swarnp, and covered at high water with three feet above the ground. Hil ~
to cut a traverse line on one of the islands, was again frustrated by 1 deep c:reek
and swamps wtthin the area.
On March 17, 1895, he went in a launch to Archibatg Town, and ak
searching and finding the end ofhis demarcation line, he still for some handiap1,
could not continue the work as he later decided on a sketch propoaal ofthe IDidlod
oftransfemng the boundary line from the initial point over to the mainland, becaUII
of the high water and the swamps. He further reportecl of havina lptDl ttu.
nights at Oroo farms, but was also unsuccessful in obt.ainina the 1atitude IOd lCJIIIudl
by reason of cloudy nights. Later on March 23, 1895 he wtllt by caooe ftoom
Ardubong Town to Ekanem Esin Town, where for 1 week he tnpaed himlelfiD
cuttmg hnes in order to have a traverse ofthe roadl towardl Oron or Ndian RiYII'.
Finally, he left Ekanem Esin Town on March 31, 189~ and bad a IUee.aft&i
naght for observat1on m an is1and at the mouth of Akpayafe (lkana) Riwr an hil
way back to Calabar, where he later produced the followina:.

del._

2.
3
4.

5
6

General Map of Old Calabar to Rio del Rey,

Plan of Urifican Creek to Factory Rio del Rey
Plan of Creek to Ekanem Esin
Traverse of Roads at Ekanem Elin
Sketch Plan ofproposed triangulation to tr1n1ter initiaJ Poinb iat.o
Mamland.
Book of Sights calculated out.

)5

This Ietter is herein produced as Appenrux VI for easy refereoce. ():,,

comments oo the Surveyor 's unsuccessful attempts on bis demarcation exera;
can best be directed to the two Wor1d Powers who because of unprec1st
delimitations, vague assumptions, presumptions, specu1ations and other Degati"'
factors could not have a clear and weil defined demarcation of their boundary ~
before or after their 1913 negotiations on the issue. Failure on their part to comple.e
th1s most important demarcation process in the making ofa botmdary, autanatic:al~
destroys any claim of vahdity for the 1913 Anglo-Gennan Treaty on the Rio ~
Rey boundary, which still remains as it was in the 1885 Ang1o-Gennan Treaty
Oscar Ede, on this boWldary making process, refers to the World Powers as drawma
lines haphazardly without regard for ethnic realities in Africa, because they kn~
that they were not going to occupy these territories indeflnitely, and then concludes
"Titey dld not lnltially bother tlt.emselves with tlte complenu;nmry nalllre of
the two most lmportant processes ln boundary maklnt - llellmltatlon and
demarcatlon ". Jl

Lord Sahsbury, a former British Pnme Minister, in confirmation of the above

said
rl'e ltave been engaged 11r drawlng Une.t upon maps where no Whileman 'sfoot
ever trod; we have been givlng away mountalns and rivers and lakes to eaclr
other, only hlndered by the smalllmpedlment thal we never knew e.x~~ctly wlrere
the mountalns and rlvers a11d Iaices were ". JJ

Lastly, we conclude this ann-chair dehmitation and demarcation exercisewith

a Joke from the former British Commissaooer and Consui-General, who having
personally partJcipated in most ofthese Anglo-Gennan boundary negotiations, rightl}
confessed by sayang
..ln du~dllys weju t.oolca bluependl and111lerandweput lt dmm,. lJ/dColtlbar
untl drew tl11~ blue /Jne to Yola. .. I r:ooJt thinking ,.-" I ~ 5iJting ltavlng ""
uudience .~die Emir (of Yola) *l'f'OUIUied by hi'i l1ibe, lhlt ~ a vet;l' goodtllbw
drt~herld n()/ kntnvthmb.-JIItab/MependlhadtftltmalrethrOilgh his te"itor)'". JJ

ll1ese are the Jokes and ~ms an the makmg ot the I913 treaty, which eventuall~
:111d unfortunatcly was overtaken by the events ofthe 1914 \Vorld \Var that brought
doom and rums to Germany at the end of tt all Fowler 's demarcation attempts

could not succeed because ofthese ann-chair dclmutation and demarcataon ofthe
two World Powers, who gave away mountams and rivers and lakes to each other
w1thout knowmg where they were, but only to rejoice that they had drawn a blue
lme through Old falabar to Yola m the1r I Q 13 treaty-document.

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WHOOWNS BAKASSI'? ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

iii. PROTEST AGAINST 1913 TREATI'

Another interestmg and very significant development ari.sing from the saad
1913 treaty was the Protest by the Efik King, OBONG EDEM EFEFIONG, the
then Obong of Calabar against any attempt to sever any portton of has temtory.
held m trust by Britain for h1m in accordance wrth the 1884 Anglo-Efik Treaty of
September I 0, 1884 oo Friendslup and Protectioo without hs consent He daspatched
a two-man delegation in the same year to London, and the two were Pnnce Basse~
Duke and Pnnce James Eyo lta, who later became King Eyo Hooesty IX of
Creek Town They successfully presented the protest an the form of a
Memorandum on "Land Tenure in Calabar and the surroundmg D1stncts .. to Mr
Harcourt, the Secretary of State for the Colonies."
Surrounding Districts here mcluded Bakassi Peninsula, and the Keynote of
the Paper was that Iands in Calabar have owners, as they are e1ther known as
town or country property, or House or Fam1ly property, or personal or pnvate
property Furthermore, town or country Iands belong to the country and may be
tenned pubhc property Theseare controlled by the OBONG or ETUBOM ofthe
respectave Houses or Fam1hes, who hold them 10 trust for the people, be at an town
or m the forest The Obong or Etubom collects rent for these Iands and.dastnbutes
same among the various Houses or Families. ''
As the Obong holds the land 10 trust for his people, so also dad Bntaan hold
Bakassa Penmsula m trust for the Obong, and s10cethe Obong cannoc part wtth the
land wathout the consent of has people. Britam could not as weil transfer or cede
Bakassa Penmsula to Gennany wathout the consent of the Obong That was wh~
the Obong protested m IQ 13 when he rece1ved the news, and for that reaaon. the
delegat1on was d1spatched to teil Mr. Harcourt, the Secretary of State for thc
Colonaes all about the Land Tenure System an Calabar andthe surroundmg dastncu
ancludmg Bakass1 Penmsula
We are however, aware ofthe Colonaal Office's reactaon tothat delegatton
and we know as a matter of fac:t and history that Bakass1 Penmsula certamh
remams an Efik territory m the Federal Repubhc of N1gena So at as because the
Obong's delegauon to the Colon1al Office in London did confirm that Bnum had
not ceded any part or port1on ofthe Obong's terntory to anybody as contamed m
the HANSARD OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT of IIth July, IQ 13 reponmg
on Southem N1gena under Land Ownerstup. The delept1on re~ched thc chmar.
oftts success, when Mr. Chathcart Wasoo M P ln the Bnt1sh House ofCommons
asked to know from M r Ha rcou rt. the Sec reta ry of State for the Colon aes.

Witether u... !)1ated by tlaose who purport to represent the views ofChlejs
a11d other native.\ from Southern Nigeria nmv visiting this coutrJry, tlte
(iovernment proposes to transfer the t'lwnership ofthelandin Southern ~lferi4
Jrom the native c.:ommunitie.r; to the ( 'rown or to dispossess the natives oftheir
/ancl"?

f.,vfd Mr Harcourt m h1s

reply~

sa1d:

'No, Sir, the (iovernment huve never made, have never enterlained, 011d
uv1uld not enterluin .~uch u proposul".

Th1s 1show Bntam reacted mthespint ofthe 1884 Anglo-Efik TreatyofF~a-c

PraectJm to d-.e allf!:,'Erl transfur of Efik land by her to Gem13lly. because she knewthat 1~
nct a temtory acqUJred by cm~ and would therefore. nct have ~ Bakass1 PE11119Jb
under her pnxectlcn to <Jermany Wlthout the coosent ofthe Ku1g5 and Chiefs ofOid Calat..
wtth whom she signed d1t~ m 1884 lt was 01deed an act of gocd &ith oo the pan c'
8rtta01 mhne wrth our COOCat .ilOO that the boundary between NI!,-ena and Camerooo renal\s
as rt was at the tm1e of s1gnmg the 1885 Anglo-Gennan Treaty Bntam 's reactJal to thc
Obatg 'sdelegatial dltiSconfinns Efikasowners ofthe Pen01sula. with purely Efik u1 cha~
a1 dte west of R1o del Rey and dle Camerocns fur to the east of Jl.
Rev Hc--'f)e Waddeli in 1850, thnty-five years beforethe 1885 Treaty had d1eCanlef001s
and Bakass1 as two separate cowrtnes. '" and spec1fically refurred to Rao del Rey as ~~
betwee1 C'alabar and the Cameroons " By thas observataa1. 1t means d1at Rao deJ Rey l~j
la1g been the ancaent and natural bot.mdary fi;>r tl1e two eotultries ever before dle COillDlg ofd:.
1885 treaty. which was actually based oo the physacal and pohncal !:JJOObrrnphy aloog wh lh:
-=~10-ethmc canposltJSll ofdle area. ll1e settleanents here 1n Bakass1 Pena1sula are noo
cfik wrth no llldi~JE~les of Cameroa1 01 all d1e fislung spcxs. vdl3bres and towns. such as h!
Eflom. lne El<e}9, lne <>l<qleck lne Akpa lkang, lne l.Jtan Asuquo.. b1e Abana. lne ~
Akwa I~ Edern Abasl, Mbelnmg. Archibalg Town, El<anen1 Es01 T0\\-11, and many ~
as ~cated in the Sldch ofthe area hereu1 piOOuced as Appolchx VII
Our anai!-sis as pnarted hereu1 tries to ~hght a1 thCR areras ofd1e tn:.t) '"4tr,
llfldll 'tnull m wd right fian the start. A littJe more ofrt wdl SliU be reflected as ~ ~-e
llo:i in die ne.'<l CNpters. but llle8r1\'lile, we can exantme as a Chapter the treary 111he
CMlae~~ clatm v ..,- Bakass. Peninsula to.sM.vAlether, it ~ or ncx a valid ilstrun151to
~~~o'aim.~t!Weaofthe 1914WarU) theCameroonsas a cola)yofGem~'
tt~\\il!l etft~tA\ ... the war is as weil t.) be examuted w1th pa11Jcular reference t'
the British Man. .1k- 1 ~ tbr the Camt~roons and cJther dewlopments ofthe penod m th;
territory to this 0.~

...
1

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......... ..J.

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~;..-I. JIISH ~t:T'!'L._:llr!.tft'S, VlLI.Alil::i t- TUWJtl

lertained, and
ty ofFriendship cm~
he kl1ew that ~ wa~

Bakassi Pa1insula
fs ofOid Calabar~
ith on t11e pa rt of
tt11eroa1 ra11a ms

: reaction to d1e
~fik in character

WHObWNS aAXASSI7 AN1E ENYENE BAKASSI?

Ii

vm. 1913 TREA1Y IN NIGERIA-CAMEROON DISPUTE

BEANGLO-GERMAN TREATYof 1913 has a significant roletoplay

in the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary d1spute. smce the ownership of Bakass1
Peninsula is tobe detennined on the bas1s of ats validity or otheJWise. Th1s
~ 10 because, ifit is accepted as a valid documen~ the area m dispute would go to
'dle Camerooos, as the fonner colony ofGermany. but ifnot. it goes to Nigeria as
the former British Protectorate. ln other words. the treaty has a dual role to play
in this matter, and that is why we have carefully analysed it fully before declanng
1t null and void. Ajomo on h1s part, samply descnbed at as a watershed in the
Nigeria-Cameroon boundary, smce m has opmaon. the fundamental processes of
negotiation, delimitatioo and demarcataon necessary in the makmg of a treaty of
thislllture were not ~leted, mspite of anempts and efforts on the last and most
impOrtant ofthe three eurcises, whach was unfortunately overtaken by the horron
ofthe 1914 War as earher sa1d
This fundamental change of circumstance and the supervening impossibility
of perfonnance caused by the war, havmg destroyed the central objective of the
treaty, Iead therefore, to the conclusaon that the Nagena-Cameroon boundary
remains till today as it was at the tame of sagnmg the 1885 Anglo-Gennan Treaty
by the two Powers. Evidences an suppon ofthis conclusaon areherein produced
as follows.-

Bntain, in granting N1gena independence in 1960 did not band over to her
tfle said document, since it did not exist, and could not as such, be listed for
the purpose of anheritance.

;,,

lbe said document, though not vahd, d1d however, recognise as inviolable
the fllhing righu ofthe native population ofthe Bakassi Peninsula 11 tbey
had ever been before, and further agreed to protecl the physical presence
and oc:cupation of the people, who were all Efiks of the Cross River in
accordance with the provlsions ofthe Anglo-Efik Treaty of 1884 and the
1885 Ar.11o-Gennan Treaty. These are cogent facts to confinn that the
Ni~~ameroon boundary w"s not in any way adversely affected by
the two Powers' proposals in respect of their R.io del Rey boundary in
Bakass1 ~insula in 1913.
42

!TUBOM (DR.) !YO OKON AKAK

Thc R1o dcl Rey Port Declarat1on Order of 1960 which was made in
pursuancc to Sect1on 6 ofthe Ports Act 1954- 58 Cap.31, Law ofthe
Fcderatton, by the Colontal Govemment of Nigena (Britain) constrtuted
R1o del Rey as one ofthe Ports ofNigena, NOT Cameroon. Tius Order
took cffect from September 29, 1960 before the granting of Nageria 's
mdependence on Ist October, 1960 31

Bntam as earher satd, m the context of the 1884 Anglo-Efik Treaty of

Friendsh1p and Protect1on, occupied Bakassi to protec:t the Penmsula, wluch
was satd to have been ceded to Gennany within eighteen months ofthe
alleged stgnmg ofthe 1913 treaty, in pursuance ofthe I~-14 War hostilities.
Thts agam m effect, shows that the boundary between Nigeria and
Cameroon never changed, and Gennany at the end of the war, lost 13
percent of her Colamal possess1ons including her very tmy treaty area of
1885 to the east of R1o del Rey.

The above facts are very clear and convincing enough to show that the
IQ13 contraversaal treaty has no "'locus standii" in the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary,
whtch still- remams as 1t has ever been from tarne munemorial ever before the
commg of the European traders and colonizers mto the area. It (the treaty) is
merely roped mto the scene by mtemal and extemal forces to cause confusaon an;t
bad blood between the two sister-countries for political and economic reasons
because ofthe abundant oil wells and natural resources both on landandin the sea
;1thm the lim1ts of Bakass1 Peninsula.
As a matter of fact, the treaty got swallowed up by the 1914 War, which
consequently brought Germany down from grace to grass with her colonial
possess1ons shared among the v1ctorious Powers. Cameroon in particular, was
partitioned between Britain and France, and this led to the British Mandate for the
Cameroons to enable effective and result-oriented aclministration ofBritish sector,
that later came tobe known as Western Cameroon. The Mandate System as an
offshoot ofthe 1914 war, following the 1913 treaty was a significant development
mthe political evolution ofthe Cameroons, that ought tobe reflected, as it is herein
reflected in the role of the treaty in the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary dispute.

43

i. BRITISH MANDATE FOR THE CAMEROONS

The ~ 914 ~orld War had 1ts greatest adverse impact on Gennanv

fl

comprehEilSlve wnte-up on the war would not be complete without mentic.t~ ' tl

resuhant effect on Gennany and her Overseas territores. with special ~:

th~ Gennan Cameroon, whtch were taken over by the v1ctorious Powers a~
with the Cameroon that was partit1oned on July I 0, 1919 between Britam !
france. By the n:eaty of Versailles of 1919, German Colonies were confiSC:
and put under vanous European Powers as Mandate terntories under the Leat.
ofNations.
~.
The Mandate System was an innovation in Colonial Administration, int~
by the League of Nations on July 22, 1922 in accordance with Article 22 of~
League Covenant. Thus, by the said Article 22 herein referred to, the Govemrner.of france and Great Britain made a joint recommendation to the Council of~
League ofNations that a mandate to ad.minister that part ofthe Cameroons I~
to the west ofthe line agreed upon m the Declaraton of I Oth July, 1919 should~
cooferred upon His Bntannic Majesty, who had accordingly accepted the Marnt:
in respect ofthe sald territory and did Wldertake to exercise rt oo behalfofthe l..eagt!~

NatiCilS
Earlier by Article 119 ofthe Treaty of Peace w1th Gennany at Versa1llt:

on June 28, 1919, Germany renounced m favour of the Principal Alhed il::
Assoctated Powers all her nghts over her Overseas possessions, includmf
the Cameroons. Upon this, the Principal Alhed and Assoc1ated Powers agreec
that the Govemments of France and Great Bntam should make a JOit:
recommeodaton, as above made to the League of Nat1ons as to the future a'
the Cameroons.
The Mandate was however, to mcorporate the Malner-Stmon Declarat.Kil ~
1919 which established the principle ofthe divtsion between the areas of BntJsh mc
french Admimstratioo of the fonner German possessiats ~ On Decernber 1:
1946, Trusteeship System after the Second Worid War. Wlder the United Nltlet!
nplacecl the Mandate System, but the charactenstics rentained stillas before. exetp"
in nomenclature. 19 Under the Mandate arrangement of the League, whlCb lae'
became Trusteeship ofthe Umted Nat1ons in 1946, Britain took charge of~
Carneroc.t, while Eastem Cameroon went to France. By the$e a rrangements. 8rDr
took possession oftwo entitJes, which were the ~rea covered by the IQI3 ~
German Treaty negotiations oo the Rlo del Rey bowtdary m Bakassi Perunsula.:
the area that was originallv Gennan sphere of in fl uence before the IQ 13 negotlllioo5
1-4

!TUBOM(DR.) !YOOKON AKAk

In other words, Britain covered the area claimed by German m the I9 13

negot1ations on the Rio del Rey boundary, and the Gennan onginal traty ara to
the east of Rio Dei Rey before the 1913 negot1ations along wtth other areas of
Western Cameroon as specified in the Mandate Tius 1s where the role of the
1913 treaty in the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary daspute comes m for reVlew and
analysis for an open verdict, smce the 191 Q Mandate of the League and the
1946 Trusteeship System of the Umted Nataons did bnng Western Cameroon
W'lder the British Colonial Administration.
What we are now saying, isthat Cameroon. as a Gennan terntory became
a VJctim of the wars, because Germany, her Colomal Master was swept out of
Bakassa peninsu1a by the Treaty of Versaalles, whale she by the Bntish Mandate
for the Cameroons was administered, not in peace, but m pieces. Germany had
on the other hand. thought it possible to achaeve her desires. aams and objectives
pohtacally, economically or otherwase by war. but unfonunately, met the wom
dtsaster ofher life, and so was her fate. and the fate that brought an the C'ameroons
as a vactam of the war

i.CAMEROON ATIROCITIES IN BAKASSI

The 1946 Trusteeship System of AdnunastratJon 1n the Cameroons led to
the creat1on of two Cameroons, the Brat1sh and the French respecttvely m the
west and east of Cameroon w1th the Bnttsh sector fom1ang part ofthe N1genan
Federat1on m IQ~4 as Western Cameroon. whtch m 1961 JOmed the Repubhc of
the Cameroons These polit1cal developments. pnor to the IQ6 7 - 70 'senan
C1vll \Var had no conf11ct with the pos1t1on or status of Bakass1 Perunsula as 1
N1genan temtory, until after the war, that showed the rameroons the way tnto the
Penmsula
Poss1bly, some Cameroon sold1ers who maght have served 10 the war. or
some other Cameroonians who might as weil been of ass1stance to N1pna by one
v.ray or the other du ring the Cl\11 disturbance. m1ght have dtscO\ered the abundant
resources, weatth and grandeur ofthe area that entaced them later mtothe Penansula
soon after the war m IQ70 These resources. especaally the h1jh osl potenuals
c:bscovered in the area along wrth the strateg1c posrtion of the Penansula at the
estuary ofthe Cross Ra ver flowing mto the Gulf ofGumea m the Adantic to~sthne
of\Vest Africa, attracted and induced Cameroon mfittratJons into the area W1th a
senous clash of mterest, whtch gradually tumed the h1gh 011 porentaal Bakau anto

4.5

WHO OWNS BAKASSI? ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

an area ~fhi~ ~flict potential between Bakassi indigenes and Camerocn itr\4
scrambhng mrttally for a share ofthe wealth therein.
t
Before the end of 1970, open clashes along with Cameroon att~ '
foll?wed as Cameroon claimed ownership of Bakassi Peninsula as a whole tll ~ (
basts of the 1913 controversial treaty between Britain and (lermany. On Ii;
score, and as a result ofCameroon aggression, molestation and attrocities, thet\.
countries decided to have a joint Nigeria-Cameroon Pennanent Consultatr;
Comnunee to tackle the problern facing them, with a view to finding a peacef_
and Iasting solution for their peaceful co-existence. But before the Co~
was formerly constituted and established with necessary protocols, CamerCQ
had already asked the Secretary-General ofthe United Nations to express a VJe.
on the 1913 Anglo-Gennan Treaty as applied to the boundary issue, and ml
reply of 18th January, 1971, the Secretary referred to paragraph 20 ofthe provistct:
of the treaty whtch says that, tf Akpayafe 's lower course changes tts mouth t(
transfers tts waters to Rio del Rey, the area remams a Gennan territory. Ni~
mstantly reJected that vtew smce the said 1913 treaty had inittally been erroneous~
based on the assumptton that Rto del Rey was a river covermg a distance ofet&tt.
mtles m lenght 1" We equally endorse Ntgena 's objectton against the Secretar,!
Vlew because the satd paragraph ts purely condtttonal and vague, since it goes V.'t
''tf', which means that. tf Akpayafe does not change tts mouth to transfer t
waters to Rto del Rey, the area in this case remams a Brittsh territory Secon&.
up to that I97 I. it was never established or ascertained whether Akpayafe d:
change tts mouth or not, or whether it did transfer its waters to Rio del Rey or ncr.
smce there was no correct and/or complete demarcation ofthe area prior to 191:
or after This ts where paragraph 20 ofthe provtsions goes wrong, while its reJectKr
by Ntgeria is perfectly nght, because it has also been proved that the said treaty a:
a whole, Iacks legal validity and ts therefore, not a treaty in force
Unfortunately, Cameroon by the expressed view of the Secretary-Generz
feit JUstified m her cla,tm and aggresstveness which continued, while Nigena
consctously or unconsciously appeared to be dormant and dumb when Camei'OO'
gendannes were attacking left and nght by day and night She was actually dormr:
and dumb, but not blmd and tarne when in Bakassi, there were lots of Camerocr
attroctties in the fonn of physical and indecent assaults. arrests, detentions ar:
tmpnsonment, stealtng, plundermg and extortions, illegal taxation and collectioc.
bummg, destructton and vandahsm, beating, shooting, killmg and murder ama'1
others Even before the Secretary's Ietter of 18th January, 1971 was issuerl
Cameroon had earher tssued Decree NO 71/DF/30 of 17th Januaf!. 1Q71 to chang-:

4r

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

the name of Abana, an Efik prime settlement to Jabana as a District ofCameroon.

1bereafter, followed other changes and challenges with a catalogue of attrocities
ofshocking revelations, some ofwhich areherein releasedas follows:a.

1973: Five Nigerian soldiers were mureiered while on patrol in Bakassi,

and a student of the University of Calabar in the same year, was shot
dead by Cameroon gendannes, while at home to collect his school fees
from his father in Abana.

b.

June 25, 1973: Cameroon genclarmes about 200 in number arrived Bakassi
in two ships, expelled all N igerian fisherman and threatenecl to extenninate
them ifthey refused to go away. They allleft their villages and beloogings
forthegendarmes to phmder. The matter was later.teported to the Obong
ofCalabar, who sent a protest to the Military. Oovemor, South-Eastem
State ofNtgeria on 6th July, 1973

Also, m his Welcome Address of I Oth July, I 973 to Rear-Admiral N B Soroh

dunng a Courtesy Visit to"him, the Obong further dtrected the attention of the
Admiral to the expulsion ofhis people from thetr traditional fishing homes. and at
the end, he says

"lt seems therefore that an infringement has heen committed hl'

the Government ofthe Cameroons in their unilateral attemptto take
pos."ession of these places. The right to property b; .~acred and
in,'iolate except in the law of the jungle".
c

May 16, IQ81 Fave Nagenan sold1ers were killed dunng routme border patrol
duty by the genda nnes. and C ameroon accepted being aggressors in Nigerian
temtory, apologased and pledged compensation for the five Nagerian soldiers
theykilled Thektlhngtookplaceat lkangoo Saturday, May 16, IQ81 at8.55
am And N1gena was no more donnant and dumb, not bland and lame when
three days after, Professor lshaya Audu, Minister of Externat Affairs called a
Press Conferenc~. by whtch. he announced Cameroon 's aggress1on and
dehberate act of provocatJOil and kalhng. at the end of whach. he threatened
that ~ageria, havmg been pushed to the wall, would fight back 11 Nigena no
more remamed a paper ttger as she was ab1e to roar and bark at the same
ume as a dog. otherw1se. Cameroon would not have accepted hab1hty for theu
unprovoked anack and anrocataes ofthat magmtude

47

WHO OWNS BAKASSI'! .~NIE ENYENE BAKASSI'!

d.

January I, 1982: The Govemor of South-West Provmce of Cameroon

Mr. Fon Fost Ntaw arnved Bakassi wtth I00 Cameroon gendannes and
forced the fishem1en, their wives and children at gw1 point to renounce
their Ntgenan ctttzenship in preferencetothat of Cameroon, and to also
pay tax to the Cameroon authorities When they refused to do so, they
were beaten up, arrested and detained

e.

May I0, 1982. Cameroon gendannes arnved lne Odiong and harrassed
the fishermen by demandmg tax by force

f.

November I0, 1983 Cameroon gendarmes arrived Abana at about 6.am;

raped the women and looted the fisherrneo 's property there

g.

February 5, 1988 Thirteen Nigenan fishem1en were arrested at sea, taken

to Cameroon and detamed to be released after the intervention of the
Cross Rtver State Govemor

January 16. I Q8Q Cameroon gendam1es attacked thtrteen villages of

Bakass1 and demanded taxes and levtes l11e v11lagers were severely
beaten when thev refused to pay.
Januarv 14. I003 Gendarmes mvaded Abana 111 two warslups. demanded
taxes. ~nd those who refused to pay on the ground tl1at they were :"J tgenans,
who had already patd thetr taxes as such. wtth the1r recetpts shown to the
mvaders. were thrO\vn mto par11c when the gendarmes released thetr volleys
mto the atr. setzed Abana stgnpost and left

Sources: a- i. Cross R" er St<~tc Postuon P<~pcr on B,lkJsst Pc111nsula to thc Fcdcral
GO\ crnmcnt Boundal) C'ommtsston. I'J9~

These are some of the Cameroon attrocittes on the people of Bakass1

Penmsula m pursuance of thetr unfounded claim over Bakasst on the basis
of the 1913 treaty, but since the 1885 Anglo-German Treaty on the Rto del
Rey boundary stands unchanged and as solidas the Rock of Gtbraltar. the
Nigeria-Cameroon boundary equally remains still firm. fast and constant at
the Rio del Rey as fixed by the two Powers on June 16, 1885 Apart from
the physical combats, coupled wtth human and property destruction carned
on by Cameroon gendarmes m the1r war of aggresston, they also adopt
another crude device by replacing the names ofthe vanous Efik settlements
and villages m Bakass1 Penmsula by Carneroon coined names, as is the case

48

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

w1th ABANA becoming JABANE, ATABONG tuming into IDABATO and

so on, as contained in their DRAFT PREFECTORAL ORDER NO. 6011973,
dated 31st day of December, 1973 at MUNDEMOA by MICHAEL
NKAMSI, as herein produced as Appendix VIII.

iii. PROTESTSAND PETITIONS AGAINST CAMEROON

GENDARMES ATTROCITIES
Cameroon attroc1ties in Bakass1 Peninsula as released herein, have attracted
a Iot of protests, petitions and pathetic appeals for redress, from the various
communitJes, associat1ons, groups and indiVJduals, who see them as most mhuman,
mdecent, destructive and repugnant These despatches to various authont1es and
powers on top and above, are messages of sorrows and pains calling as vo1ces in
the wtldemess for help, ass1stance and redress One of these yeamings to the
PresJdent ofthe Federal Republic ofN1gena carried a spec1al headline in the form
of "SAVE OUR SOULS" - S.O.S. and we would only w1sh to round up this
catalogue of pains, woes and sorrows as already exposed herem by drawing
attentJon to a few of these documents. wh1ch speak for themselves as herein
presented as follows:a

May 23, I966 Petition from Barrister E E Anwan. Counsel for, and on
behalf of the nat1ves of the fishmg Settlements of Abana. Atabong (East
& West), lne Od1ong, lne Atayo and lne Akpak, allm Bakass1 Penmsula.
to the Pennanent Secretal)', Mmtstry of Externat Affa1rs. Lagos

EXTRACTS:
lt was agamst Cameroon molestauons, border v10latons and clashes.
extensaon of Cameroon Admmistration mto the area, illegal tax collect1ons and
levtes, lootmg ofproperty. and finally, an appeal to offic1ally and properly delumt
the 1\; tgena-Cameroon boundary Thts was when the f'jigenan Ctvll \Var was 111
1ts preparatory stage.
b

~ovember 3. I Q70 Delegation from fatabar Natural Rufers' Councll.

to the Muustry of Extemal Affcurs. Layos on the Nigcrian-Cameroon
boundary

WHOOWNS BAKA~~J'! ANJE ENYENE BAKASSJ?

EXTRACTS:

Upon
~ .'
. C Reports from Etubom Okokon lta of Atab01w~ to the (alaba ....,,at\Jr,
Rulers ounc1l on the h1gh-handedness of Cameroon troops at Abana a~ :.
molestat1ons mcludmg floggmg. unlawful detent1on. extort1ons. looting etc. ~.
Councll appomted a Comm1ttee wh1ch despatched a delegat1on totheMm1st ~.
of Extemal Affa1rs. Lagos to present 1ts case to the Federal Govemmern 01 :
~1gena The delegat1on compnsed Ch1ef N E lta. Councll Secretary. (1uer\ '"'
Magnus Oku and Chief Emang Essien. whJie Etubom Okokon lui and Chief; e
Eum Efiong Bassey, both of Atabong JOmed as co-opted Members w1th Etubora ~ ~
(Dr) E E Bassey and ch1ef 8 E E Adam (later Obong of Calabar). who also I
JOmed at Lagos to the Mmtstry of Externat Affatrs on 30th October. IQ70 ~
delegat1on retumed on 4th November. I970 and presented 1ts Report to tht .
Comm1nee and the Counc1l
July 6, JQ73 Protest from Etuboms CouncJis ofthe Obong ofCalabar,
to the M1lttary Govemor, South-Eastem State of Ntgena, Calabar wnh
coptes to the Comm1ssioner for Horne Affairs & Social Welfare and the
CommJss1oner for Infonnauon & Cultural Affairs, both m Calabar
EXTRACTS:

Protest agamst forceful eJecuon of Nigenans of Efik origin by Camerooo

Govemment from Efik terntory under the junsdtctton ofthe Obong ofCalabar h
wastobe forwarded to the Head of State ofthe Federal Mihtary Govemment of
the Federal Republic of N1gena, agamst the unilateral and forceful ejecti~ of
persons of Efik origm from Bakass1 Peninsula and around Akpayafe Raver.
Attentton was drawn to the N1genan Chronicle publication of July 2, 1973 on
Nigenan fishennen m five v11lages on Nigeria-Cameroon border, who were so
ejectecfand wamed not to retum, unless with Cameroon Visa.
d.
July 10, 1973: Address ofWelcome from Etuboms Councal ofthe Obang
ofCalabar, to the Head ofNigenan Navy, Rear-Admiral N. 8. Soroh <11
a ...ourtesy Call to the Obong-m-Council.
EXTRACTS:

:":.e Addre~ drew a~enti~ to disturbances, p_hmdering and pillage committed

by Cameroon soldaers agamst Ntgenans m Bakasst Peninsula and 0 th N'

fi
fe
,
n e agenaCameroon border wtth spect c re rence to Efik fishennen in thei r vill
Atabong (East & West), Abana, Edem Abast, lne Odiong In
ages of
Atayo, who were expelled from their tradtuonal fishmg ho~es e Akpak, and lne

so

ETUBOM (DR) EYO OKON .KAK

November 3, 1976. Address of Welcome from lkang Commwlity, to His

Excellency, Col Abubakar Waziri, Acting Military Govemor ofCross River
State of Nageria, on his Visit to lkang in Odukpani Local Govemment
Area
EXTRACTS:
It was an Address of \Velcome by the Natural Rulers and the people of
lkang C'ommumty, m whach attentton was drawn to the molestations by Cameroon
gendannes, who durmg the Nagenan C1vJI War started mfiltration into the area
wtth clandestme actaVItles by well organised methods of stealing and raping of
women, wath no reactton from Ntgerian Govemment. which madethem toestablish
an Anny Postat Atabong. from where the gendannes operate as a base in carrying
out further dubtous actJvttJes agamst the fishem1en tn their fishing ports and villages.
They were frequently attacked and deprived of their catches, money and fishing
matertals The Natural Rulers and the Community as a whole appealed therefore,
for protection by establtshmg Nigena Control and Security Posts at Atabong to
check the gendarmes from further molestations and other mal-practices and
nefanous acttvtttes in the area
Many of the fifteen vtllages enumerated along with lne Akpa- lkang were
adnumstered by Cameroon Govemment, which had also taken over lne Nkani
Okure School from the Commumty, as they had equally replaced the Sign-board
With that of Cameroon These were the pains and sorrows ofthe people under
Cameroon tmposed govemment and their gendarmes in lkang as contained in the
Address to the Acting Govemor of the Cross River State at lkang
f.

May,l8 IQ8l. Protest from Okon Usim Edet N.Y.S.C. Untverstty of

Port Harcoun for hunself and on behalf of Usak-edet Conununity, to
Parhamentarians, Calabar Senatonal District. on Nigena-Cameroon border
and the fate of Archibong, Okwua, Wanjo, Oron, Amoto. Efut-lwang and
Masaka Villages of Bakassi Penmsuala.
EXTRACTS:
The Protest directed attention of the Parhamentarians to the NtgerianCameroon border problems and the fate of these vtllages of Usak-edet under
Cameroon imposed administration with the menace ofthe gendannes and soldaers
who harass and molest Nigerians in theu own waters and terntory. He appealed to
the Parhamentarians to take positive actton for a redress, and strongly condemned
the lukewarm attitude ofthe federal Govemment ofNagena for allowing Cameroon
to carry on their attrocities wtth tmpunity and tmmunity The Protest was
Sl

WHO OWNS IIAKASSI'? ANIE ENYENE BAXASSI?

acknowledged by the Senate President, Dr. JoieJ)h Wayas oo 10th June, 193 1
Soat after, Mr Edet registered another protest, captiooed "SAVE OUR SOULs
as now follows.
g.

September 1, 198l:Petition from inhabitants ofdisputed Border Areac!

Usak-edet, Comprising Archibong, Okwa, Wanjo, Mbenmong vi~
and all other fishing settlements with Okon Usim Edet as Co-ordinator,
to the President ofthe Federal Republic ofNigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari

EXTRACTS:
The Petition, captioned "SAVE OUR SOULS - Mr. Presideot" reflecteri
first on Nigerian Government as being dormant and dumb when Camerooo. i.1
1971 had effectively imposed her Administration cn Nigerians in Bakassi Peninsula
with Military Posts at Usak-edet, Abana and Atabong, and had also made ne't\
laws and crooked boundary toseparate Nigerian families living on th.e river banks
N1gerians were compelled to carry Caineroon National IdentiW Cards under
mumidauon, harassment and subjugation to all manners oftortures with Usak~
and Atabong being in particular strongly policed by Cameroonians and theu
gendarmes. Some villages remain~ virtually deserted due to these attrocities in
the various fishing Settlements, and the President was therefore, called upon to
save their souls by correct delimitation of the boundary as a matter of priority
They further pledged to fight for their Iiberation inspite of Cameroon efforts to
destroy or falsify their national identity.
FinaUy, they once more, called on the President to save them from Camerooo
1mposed Govemment and Administration with their neo-colonialism, and
thereafter, pledged confidence m the Federal Govemment of Nigeria with full
support and loyalty to the President. Mr. Edet as Co-ordinator and seven others
signed the Petit1on.
These protests and petitions are as numerous as Cameroon attrocities in
Bakassi, but not as numerous as the pains, sorrows, tortures and sufferings of
Nigenans m the hands ofCameroon gendarmes in the Peninsula. Wehave onlv
sarnpled out a few ofthe attrociues and a few ofthe protests fQr the purpose ~f
this thesis, which shows clearly the ex.tent of darnage donein terms of Jives and
property lost by the people as a result of these menacing activities of the
Cameroons Protests ansmg thereof. m some cases . '_Vent along with Addresses
of Welcome presented to very unportant personaht1es and very high rank
Mil1tary Officers m pos1t1on to use theu good and respected offices to effe tng

redress. by gettmg Cameroon Govemment. 1ts agents and the

gendarrne~\:

S2

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

chmb down in reconsideration of their actions.

It so happened when thirteen Nigerian fishennen on February 5, 1988
were arrested, taken away and detained in Cameroon, but later released because
of protests and intervention of the Cross River State Govemor. Also the cold
blood murder offive Nigerian soldiers at Ikang on May 16, 1981 by Cameroon
gendarmes evoked serious and numerous protests nationally and intemationally,
and Cameroon Govemment, as a resuh ofthat and threats from the Nigenan
Govemment, came on their knees to accept liability for the murder with full
payment of compensation to the families ofthe murdered sold1ers.
Meanwh1le, we have so far exposed the master-plan and the secret agenda
of the Cameroon Govemment and the gendarmes to take over Bakassi Peninsula
by war of aggression as eVIdenced in this catalogue ofthe1r numerous attrocities.
As we are now drawing the curtain, we can as weil be moving forward mto other
areas ofthetr abortive plans and baseless claims ofownership ofBakass1 Penmsula

UNITED REPL'!?:..IC Or.' CJ\~!;..P')UN

Pence - Wor~ .- ~~therlard

SOUTH \fES'f PHOVI NCE:

NO!.~

b!Q !stR

. 01v1s1onal 01'1'1ce,

Hunrtel!lt~

DRAFT PREFECTORAL ORDER ~10.60/1973

Chanaing namec; o! !1shin~ 5ettlerr.~nt 8
in Idaboto D1str1ct.
THE CIVIL ADHINISTRATOH,
PREFECT OF 'NDJAN DIVISIOt!
(HOLOI:ll. OF THE CAMEROUN ORDEH OF HE.!U.":,

mnd!ul o! the Consti tution o! 2nd June 1972

111nd!ul o! Ducraa No. 72/349 ot 24th Juiy, 1972 organ1sing the
Un1t-ld Rtpublic o! C.smeroun;
M1nd!ul o! Dccree No. 72/422 o! 26th August, 1972, de;Uning the
!unctions and powora ot Heada o! Administrative Units:

Hindful of Dr!cree No.71iDF/30 ot 17th Januory, 1971, creat1ng the

D1strict

Jab~no;

Mind!ul o! ft:c:rce No. 73/71 o! 7th March, 1973, changing the na~e "I
Jnbone Distr1ct to Idaboto District;
1973~ appointing Mr.
f>lichael NKAt-4.::;1, Prefcct o! Nd1an Division;

Mind!ul o! Occree No.73/470 of 23rd Aut;ust,

Conniderin1 thc necessity o! stability and proper admlnistration;

0 RDE RS
~~

ihe nomcs of

~11

the fishing Settlenents in Idabnto

D1str1ct appcarin in Colur:m I in the follow1ng scheclule

havc been chenged to thosc appearing in column I I o!

thc schcdule:
COLUMN I ( i2J.D NAJtrc:.S)

COLUHN I I ( NE'tl NAHE~

ATABCIJ-1 'tiEST

IDADATO

2.

AT ABC~''"'. EAST ( Ibck\oiC, Okobodi I')

IDABATO II

3.

ABANA

JABA:-IE I

-4,

5.
-6.

St1AlL r;r,r~!IG I

t.

II, OURUDU
(obodorn)

M8.\TA YANABE:

INE OntCf>!!':

NAW\JMSE WAN

INOU~:

KOt1BO ~ ~IUNJ A

7.

EDEH

A.

OBUfl

KOMBO ~ MUNJA l i i

9.

OKODO!J!

K0;1BO ~ Pt:~r( A I

I" ~~

KOI1BO

f:

l-IUNJ II. I I

,_10.
i' 11.

~2.

AMAf10N

KOMBO

ASIAJ-:"

Jr..A

EDt-:il f';_ ,

.;~

!!

PENY A. I I

KOMBO ~ PENYA IV

AKPA"f :lk.\NYA

KOJ-1DO " PENY A I I I

KeMae ~ NaaN.tA

)14.

INT:: AKPAK

MEONJO

\... 15.

SAND SM.O

~13.

KOMO ~ MlYANCAnU

16.
17.

AFACHA lNUA MDA

18.

CHAALEs

KOM~~ JANEA

19.

CIDI CII)I

KOMBO ~ MPUNJU

20.

COLONY

21.

IUE GE!'\MAN

KOMBO ~ FILLA

INE I~::n

KOMBO ~ BEDit>

./22.
23.
/24.

25.

INUA W'lf\ I,

00'./N

II &

III

FORISANE I, II & III

FORISAI\."E IV

I, I I & III

e,a_0 "'

MEKANJO

I, II & III

KOMilO ~ 't/ASE

Ir.JE ~'to

KOl-tBO

AKPA ji<ANG

MUNJA MA QUANC

~ ~1BONJO

ARTICLE 2. This order ta ettect!ve !rom tho date o! s1gnetur&

und approval by the m1n1oter in chorgc o! Territorial
Administration.
ARTICLE ~ The District Head ot Idabato ahall soo to the
execut1ve ot th1a ordor.
~t~.

Thia ordor ahall be rogiatered ond publ1shed wh~rever

nece,aary.

DATED

AT

MUNOEHBA THIS 31ST DAY OF OECEMBEn, 197)

PREFECT NDIAN DIVISION

VU ET APc::t '1UVf: S/ilO. 236

DU 3 DEC!: "lfm

1 97 ~

Sgd: MICHAEL

LE HI

NY,...,..,~ OE L' ADr"llNIS'mATION

~ r~qiTORIALE,

HKA~~l

[IX.

1975GOWO~AHIOJO ACCORD & AKWA 180M CL\1~1

HE GOWON-AHIDJO ACCORD of June. IQ75 is generally referr~

to as MARUA DECLARATION OF IQ75 lt first surfaced as a nnnO\i:
that Nagena 's Head ofState. General Yakubu Gowon had sagned an Accord
watiJ. Presadent Ahmadou AhadJO of the Cameroon Repub!Jc to transfer Bakass1
Pe.\!flsula to the Cameroons in I Q75 Whether at was true or false one tlung ~~
cerfain, and that as, Nigerians were not, and arenot a~are ofthe exastence ofsuch
a document The Supreme Mahtary Councal ofGowon regune was not also aware
of it m as much as at had never ratified any Accord ofthat nature
Obviously, ifthere was an Accord as alleged. at must certamly be a personal
affaar between Gowon as an indtvtdual and AhadJo as Jus fnend lf1t was a personal
affair, as it was, it therefo-tt, has notJung to do wath N agena as a nauon. but can at
i best, be seen only as ~ ~ecret agenda of General Gowon smce at was !'ever
lttown to Nigerians and the public at the tune of 1ts makmg until the General 5 exrt
AOd exilein Britain. lt therefore remamed hadden. alhcat and spunous untJI General
Murtala Mohammed came across it in that year after the debns of the caval war
bad been cleared for the world and tts people to hear of 1t and 1ts allega laty General
Murtala MohammP.d on discovery ofthe tllicit document. declared 1t null and vold.
di.owned it and cast it mto the waste-paper basket, since Gowon was acung .. ultra
vires"- that is, going beyond bis powers
On this score, the Minister of Externat Affatrs. Professor BolaJI Akmyenu
;n the Nigerian Punch of August II, 1981 followed up where. accordang to h 1111

"Tir~ much talked about Gowon-Ahidjo hort/er Agreement i.\ after

II not blttdilfg on Nigeria. The Nig~rian Supreme Militllr)' ( auncil
lleYt!r tiCC~pl~d lt ".
Yes, " Ia 10, and was indeed nullified and rendered useless and meamngless by the
l.ate Hit\1 ofState. General Murtala Mohammed who actually declared it null and
~. 1t is tlius futile for the Cameroons to claim ownership of Bakassa Penmsula

n th~ ba1is of a non~xisting Accord.

1\e mere attt~ to transfer that art;Q known as Bakassi Penmsu Ia to the
..... ~'...
.
c~.~ -:"''_IJ,, a COW)'-IUC ve evJClence and proofthat lt was never before a Canleroon
~ oibo.wi"' t-la tdea of~ would not have arsesl at aII if rt had origina II ,.
blblsed to the Cameroons. 1lu1 proves further that the alleged transfer of tl
1111 by the said 1913 treaty to the Cameroons as equall~ a ficton. other~'*is:~

..

so

ETUBOM (DR.) FYO 01\01'1 AI\AK

GO\,on would not have transferred as alleged, to the Cameroons a tcrntory whach
already belonged to them by the controversial treaty of IQ 13. Objectavely. from
''luchever angle of approach in the light of the foregomg exammataons and
e\pos1t1ons. the conchasaon ts that Bak'assi Peninsula was and is not a Cameroon
terntory. and that was why AhidJO was tn secret bargaming wtth Gowon to snatch
at from Nagena. but fatled, while the said rattficatton of the said Aceerd by the
C'ameroon Parhament ts agam and equally a strong evidence that the saad IQ13
Anglo-Gennan Treaty r1ever before transferred the territory to Gennany
A httle more advance into the history and politics ofthe West reveals that
Bntam and France m December. IQ46 entered tnto Agreement wath the Umted
Nataons m respect oftheir respective areas ofJurisdaction in the Cameroons Soon
after. France created her autonomaus Cameroon State. whtle Nigena at the same
tune absorbed Southern Cameroon in her IQ54 Federation of Ntgena. ~~ and m
these arrangements. Bakassi Penmsula was never a part of.Southem Cameroon.
but ent1rely a N1genan territory away m the Eastem Reg1on of Nigena from the
start l11at was why the United Nations pleb1scite of IQ5Q d1d not include the
Penmsula m detenmning the fate of Western Cameroon." nor that of Southem
Cameroon m IQ61 As said earher, no Cameroonian lives in the Penmsula other
than the Efiks m thear traditional vlllages. settlements and towns. wh1ch the
Cameroons are makmg frantic and abortive efforts to rename as the1r own. as
shown .m Append1x VIIItothis work Fashermen ofother nataonaliues are however
m the area but none as of Cameroon stock or origan
St 11! more. thc pohtical evolution ofthe fameroons led the coLultry to declare
atsclf thc Rcpubhc of the Cameroons on 4th March, IQ60 shortly after gammg
lndependence m Janual)' ofthat IQ60. Wath this Declarat1on came the Southem
Ca aneroon pleb1sC1te on February II. IQ61 for a un1on w1th thc Repubhc of
Caaneroon. 11 but the people of Bakass1 Peninsula. as it was in the JQ5Q Umted
'lataons pleb1c1te. dad not also vote at all. since the Penmsula was and ts never m
Southem Cameroon. or 111 any other area of C'ameroon We would once more m
strcamlmmg our v1ews here. refer again tothe Riodei Rey Port Declarataon Order
of 1ono that constatuted Rao del Rey as one ofthe ports of N1gena m support of
Bakassl Pc111nsula as a T'hgenan terntory
Thcs~ facts are transparently clear enough to conclude that Bakasst
p~n 111 sula had. and has never been a Cameroon terntory other than bcang a N1genan
e of the Efiks of Old Calabar from tune unmemonal. and Gowon cannot
hOl 11
ereforc. 111 hts personal mterest. give at out to AhldJO. evcn though at IS better to
11 c than to takc. but onc cannot give out what he does not havc TI11s as whe11.:
t

~"

~7

\\110 OWNS BAKAS~I'! ANIE ENVENE BAKASSI':

Gowon went wrong by attempting to gtve out what does not belong to htrn .~,
thanks to the succeedmg Head ofState, General Murtala Mohammed, whoat~
takmg over the Govenmtent. had immediately in the same year - 1975, ckt\a:..
the satd Accord null and votd

But, inspite oftlus nulhficatlon and the declaration ofthe 1913 Treaty-.: (
and votd. Cameroon Republic sttll hammers as before on her c1aim over ~
Penmsula. JUst as we firmly pressthat Bakassi remams ever a territory ofNi~4
111 Ntgeria for Ntgena, stnce 1t bclongs to Ntgeria We can as weil at thts Point\)
the purpose of emphases. state once and for all that the Accord which was fa1
rattfied by the Supreme Mihtary Council ofNigeria, and which hc:zdalsowitnseveral denunciattons by subsequent Administrations following that of Genert
Mohammed cannot be btndmg on Nigeria, because ofthese disabilities ancl ~
other f~ctors that depnved tt of authenttcity and validity
This Accord,lltherwise known as Marua Declaration was certainly ~
on a number of groLttlcls, the most outstanding being non-ratification as alreae-~
noted, because under the JQ6Q Vienna Convention on the Laws ofTreaty a stat
can only be bound oy a treaty tt has ratified, unless there is an express provisicm ~
the treaty setting aside the provtston '' ln thts case, there was no such provisicl.
and its validity cannot therefore be establtshed or authentJcatecl, hence its bemt
accordtr.)y thrown mto the dustbin This is where, how and why the A~
meets its inevttable doom as the claam of Akwa lbom State met its own fate, bll
bemg the ltast and most ms1gntficant so far, among other claims over Bakasst, 1
can be stmply thrashed out here.

AKWA moM CLAIM OVER BKAssr

II

he claam of Akwa Ibom State over Bakassi Penmsula was based on its
allegataon of havmg at one ttme or the other, adminastered the area under
Mbo and/or Eket Local Govemment Area ofthe fomter Cross Rlver State
Thas claam of ownership of the Peninsula was based only on this alleged
admmistrauon, but since the claim 1s already dead and buried with the creatioo of
Bakass1 Local Govenunent Area m the present Cross Raver State by the Federal
Govemment of Nigena, we can stall examine the allegataon of Akwa lbom State
whach was carved out ofthe fonner Cross River State on September 23, 1987
What must here be clearly understood asthat Mbo, Eket, ltu Local Govemments
and a.ny other that admnustered any area ofthe foqner Cross Ra ver State, did so oo the
authonty and mandateofthat State, and as being ,aJso a component pan ofthe State
ln cmer words. these Local Govenunent Areas dad not belong to Akwa lbom State,
wh1ch was na yet mexastence at that time. It 1s dterefore, wroog to hold that Ai'!'
lbom State adlmmstered any area ofthe fonner Cross River State, JUst as 1t ~do
so m the present Cross River State This as certa~nly, where and wby 1t was W1'a18 for
it to claim ownership.ofBakassa Pemnsula only on the bas1s ofprevious admmastrataon
ofthe area ll!lder Mbo and/or Eket Local Govemme11t Area ofthe fomler Cross RJwr
State, smce there.was at that tarne n~u1g known as Akwa lbom Stare
Obv1ously so at as, because tmmediatet, Akwa lbom St.ate was ereated, wtth
txxh Mbo and Eket transferred from dte fom1e~s R1ver S~.10tci at. the Mbo and
Eket nlandates for the admamstration lapsed. since Mbo or Eket Cannot Slly at Akwa
Jbonl State to acbninister the Peninsula u1 the present Cross River State Thts theory
apphes evenly to ltu Local Govemment Area of Akwa lbom State m rts claim over
Mbiabo territory on the same basts of prev1ous adminastration. because ltu 11 now m
A,kwa lbom State. and not in the prese11t Cross RJVer State wlth the Mbiaboe. We
wish A)cwa lbom State Govemment to understand dlat acbmmstratJVe, unhke temtonal
boUJldaries, are never statac, but change aloog wrth the creatlon of new admunstratJve
unitS or blocks in the area or territory.
1be Administrative Boundary Theory apphed on the nauooal basts Wrw5 that
fQf1n four Regioos ~ Ntgena namely, North. East, West and lllld-West becan1e
~ uteS in 1967 dunngthe N1pnan CtVII War by ahenns thc ongu1al boundar1es
1he four areas. These boundaries chanpd apm what the twelve States beame
~ in 1976, and fiuther ajp!ut when the nutdeen became twenly-<JOle on I"~ 7. and

~<)

WHO OWNS BAKASSI? ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

furthermore 00 the basisoftbis theory is thirty as at present, In all these casese(t. \ollg'
85 rot~
creations, the fonner boWldaries were altered to indicate the new administrative ~
of the newly created states.
' ~c r)
Sqme Local Govemment Areas in the same way change their boun~ ~ge~
creation of~ew states~ ~r ~1 GoveOUllEilt Areas, and in the evmt oflocal ~~: ~re drfi
ofvillages mthe admini~ve area~. The Boundary Theory applies as well tQ"'~ CfOSS 1
lbom State's cla.un over Mbtabo terntory oo the same basis ofits fonner a~\ ~
ofthe area Wlder Itu Local Govemment Area, not Mbo or Eket in the case of&k." i
but since Itu is no more in th~ Cross River ~tate, it cannot as weil stay ii1 ~~~~ ~f
State to admimster Mbtabos mthe ~ross River State. That is why the ~ pd-er
boundary between Itu and ~ukpam Local Govemment Areas changes as at p~ t\le <
to keep Itu away from Mbtabo areas m the Cross River State.
3crc
lkono Local Govemment Area had long ago been carved out of Itu ~ crc
Govemment Area, and again Ibiono Ibom Local Govemment Area came laterta v't~
be also carved out from it These new creations whtch affect Itu Local Govei'IUllert the
Area boundary are in consonance with the principles of Administrative Bounda~ f.{
Theory, whtch made Mb1abo Clantobe carved out smce 1983 before the creatkb 3 ~
of Akwa lbom State in 1987, from ltu Local Govemment Area into Odukparu ,r
Local Govemment Area by Vanat1on Order NO I of 1983 and Cross River Statt
Legal Notlee NO 6 of l 983, pubhshed in the Cross River ofNigeria Gazette N0.34
Volume 16 dated 25th August, 1983
On the other hand, Terntonal Boundary Theory holds that the territorial
boundary ofa nat1on remams unchanged in the event ofstate or Local Govenunent
Area creation, and apphes specifically to boundary demarcations betWeen tribal or
ethmc groups lt 1s also referred to as natural or traditional boundary, which should
remain intact, m conformity w1th the popular Efik saying" "OWO IKANGHA
KE ADANGHA ESET'', wh1ch means that one should not go beyond anciem
boundary By th1s theory, the lb1bio of Akwa lbom State for example, retam their
territonal boundary mtact when thetr state was carved out of the fonner Cross
R1ver State m IQ87 The Efik also m hke manner, retain their own intact too after
the creat1on m all the1r City States, HESSIEN EFIK ITIABA", no matter where
they are located The present encroachment of Akwa lbom State on Mbiabo and
.. ISONG-INYANG" areas ofEfik terntory mthe Cross RJVer State is a dangerous
v1olation of bas1c princ1ples ofth1s theory ~
Nat1onally, the Hausas, Ibos, Yon\bas and others contmue to have their
terntonaJ boundanes lntact. no matter the nurober of states or Local GovemmP,r.tS,
-~

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

~,..-.,

causmg lots ofproblems, msptte ofthese umversal prmcaples, by ats

on the border-lines of the present Cross Rtver State of Nagena
Ir.
,roa
f
' ef1 can admit however, that there are border confl1cts m some other areas o
-~) \~e na. but they are not purposely, consctously anq mtentaonally created as the}
N~one here by the Govemment of Akwa lbom State. wh1ch fully knows that the
~1 rross R.Jver and ats estuanes to an extent constttute the terntonal boundary between
~ lbom State and the Cross R1ver State
Inspite of these all, the defimtions and allustrauons herem, the people of
, AJcWa lbom State, enttced by the nch forestand marine resources. and the hagh o1l
potenuals of Bakasst Penmsula and the strategac posataon ofthe Penmsula, down to
the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlanttc coast of West afnca. stall struggle to swam
across the Cross Rtver mto the Atlantac for Efik Iands wathm Efik terntory an the
Cross R1ver State It ts unfortunate that they do not know th:lt geography plays a
VItal role an the dtstribution of men, wealth, matertals and resources, because 1f
they know, they would not have pledged thear Jives for the Canaan land of the
Efiks wath Bakassa Peninsula. most potentaal. most excatmg, and most entacang. JUst
as 1t was on the other hand, most expensave and most d1sappomtmg to all ofthem
mAkwa lbom State. when the Federal Govemment const1tuted the terntory mto a
Local Goven1mcnt Area of the Cross Ra ver State of Nagena
lt was indeed a lost battle, smce their fruatless claam was an all-conceived
and nuscalculated dream of expans1on to the east (Mbaabo and Bakassa) m lme
with the Expansaomst Theory of Vital Space and Pressure Towards East, as
propounded by AdolfHatler. whose dear and beloved Gennany. m the final analys1s,
became a vactun of two World Wars m I o 18 and I Q45 l11e claim wh1ch was
based onlv on the purported prevaous admmistrauon of Bakass1 by Akwa lbom
State has bcen proved to be false. smce Akwa lbom State was not exastmg at the
time of the alleged admmastrataon. Wc therefore, state here categoncally that
Akwa Ibom State has never admmastered Bakassa Penlllsula. and 111 support thereof.
we hereby refer to offic1al documents 111 respect of the Admmastrauon ofthc area
before and after N1gena lndependence to confirm that
r

r IL 5 IOfl 8 ~
: ~ lh' chments

II

Before N1gena lndependence. the tcrntOf\' was admalllstered under Calabar

bv the Akpabuyo County Councal (Establishment Instrument I 0~3 ).
p~1bhshed m the Eastem Reg1on.Pubhc 'lotice No 8h of I 0~3. as severally
amended b~ Eastem Reg1on Legal Not1ce Nos 14 & 137 of IQ~8. ~o
30A\ of I o"o and No 2 of IQ60
After lnd~pendence. 1t was admmastered an accordancc wath
61

WJIO OWNS BAKASSI? ANI! lNYENE BAKASSI?

a)

Local Cotmcil (Calabar Division) Establishment Instrwnent 19S

Region Legal Notice No. 88 of 1958 as amended by Legal ~Of.
267 of 1959, and Eastem Nigeria Local Govemment No. 1of 1:Ikang Local Council.
l,

b)

So~th Eastem State Development Administration Edict No. 6 Of

wh1ch repealed South Eastem State Development Administrati~ 1
No. 18 of 1971, and again South Eastem State Development A___...........-(amended Edict 1972) under Ikang Development Area. Wrth
ofa fewvillages saidtohave been underAkwalborn State'sadJnin
the rest ofthe Peninsula was in the Akpabuyo Local Govemment Are.
the Cross R1ver State ofNigeria, and so, according to Oscar Ede~

. sfer
''One important ()bservation isthat the area is inhabited a/mo.~t nintty ~ver ~
. . fl1shermen oJ'" E:-r.k
'"J6
per cent by N1ger~an
..,, or~g1n.
.tu~a
ObVJously, Bakass1 Penmsula has been mhabited by the Efiks as far back as bY::
16th century when Efik colonization of Akpabuyo started, and the ea bY ..
occupat1on ofthe area led to the estabhshment of thetr "'EKPE'' Lodge there c\a'n,
thetr tradittonal symbol of authority, Govemment and control along with
a~
monuments that deptct their traditton, custom and culture
These an sa~1
structures were unfolded when the United Nat1ons delegat1on of I QQ6 on faQ 1./J
finding Miss1on arnved and saw them there as concrete ev1dence and proofai
ownership of Bakass1 Penmsula by the Efiks Akwa I Born State and its peopteal
the other hand. had nothing to show, and nothmg to say m support oftheir spuriOII!,
cla1m of ownersh1p ofthe Penmsula
The Federal MJI1tary Government of Ntgeria, having been thereafttt
convmced that Bakass1 1s Efik as Efik 1s Bakass1. declared the whole terntoryol
the Pemnsula a Local Govemment area of the Cross R1ver State of Nigeria 1
I QQ6 after the Umted Nations MISSIOn had come and gone \Vith this verilict
Akwa fbom State had no other alternative than to accept the1r defeat in tbeu
fLutless endeavours to reap where they d1d not sow lt was an attempt to rob Pete
to pay Paul. Bur 1t all ended up as an aborttve coup pendmg tnal ofthe plotters. m1
mdeed. the last nall that finally sealed the coffin to end the1r tussle and rancour Cll
rhe ownersl11p of Bakasst Penmsula
Before the creatton of Bakass1 Local Govemment Area, the federal
Govemment of N1gena had earher const1tuted m I QQQ the Nauonal Electoral
fomnHsston for tlh.' ddllnttarton of Local Govemment Electoral \Vards and

63

WBO OWNS JAKASSI? ANil ENYENE BAKASSI?

Ii x.

OBONG'S SUPREMACY OVER BAKASSI

EFORE the curtain is drawn at the end of our SUMMARY AN

CONCLUSION, we C<Jlsider it a duty to bnefly reflect on the 1 I)
development between the Obong of Calabar and his Bakassi subJect~est
to, ''WHO IS WHO IN BAKASSI".
as
lt is not, WHO OWNS BAKASSJ? But WHO IS SUPREME IN THAT

TERRITORY? Tius is the question with a stmple answer, smce 1t has becn
htstoncally estabhshed, confirmed and concluded that Bakass1 as a whole wa
founded by the Efiks ofOld Calabar m the 16th Century, after the foliiX:Jmg ofrh: '
Efik Ctty States earher m the 15th century Therefore. Bakass1 Pctunsula fro 111
th 1s historical background. has been a bona-fide terntory of thc Efiks. who 111 the
context ofthts analysts embrace Efiks of one ancestral ongm and stock along wtth
mhab1tants of these areas mthe Pe~msula and elsewherc. acccptmg the Obony
of Calabar as the1r Paramount Ruler and Grand Patnarch
The 1884 Declarat1oos ofEfill, ldombi ~orn-shat wtth th~t r kmgs and temtones
alreadv cited and re-proouced mthts work. as subJect tod1e authont\ ~nd JunsdJc.tlal ofd1e
kul!,'S ~d C1uefs ofOid calabar, coofinn th1s o~r-all Lordshtp status and supremacyofthe
Oba1g of('alabar as successor tothe nghts ofover-lordsJup. fonncrlv exerctsed and etlJO~
bythe Efik Kmgs ofOid (alabar Ca1sequently. the recent eieums ofthc poople u1 Bakasst
Pemnsula, who are subjects ofthe Obatg offalabar. as weil as thctr demand to plav d1e
supreme role 111 deahng directly wnh dte Otl r ompamcs and thctr agents are certamly
w1fornmate llus demand has accordUlgl\ brought thc ongmal Bakasst tussle between
BntaUl and Gennany 1n the Ioth centurv. and between N1!,rena and Cameroa1 111 d1e 2(ij}
C81tury, from the tntemat101tal plane down to a local cattroversy between d1e Obalg of
Calabar and hts Bakasst subJeds
What really sparks out dte flame comes as a stonn 111 a tea<up, arising &an the
sincenty of the Obong-ul-<:OlUlCJI to bret the Otl Compames to know and accept their
respmsib1hties and obhgattats tn respect ofthe socJal welfure and ecx:nonuc well-being d
the ~le and the cornmlUlltles 111 whtdl they ~erate Cmsequmtly, the Obalg-in-council
set up a Conunwuty Affa 1rs Comrmttee to handle allrnatters relatmg to Otl exploraticllS a1d
cperanoos m Bakasst Peninsula and <Xher areas wnhm the Efik territory. with a view to
getting the Orl Compames to update d1e1r ~ratlooal prograrnmes to mclude the muc:h
needed socaal and eca101111c de~lqJilllts ofthe peqlle and the CQ11luruties in which they
operate. along wtth payrnent of royalttes and adequate compensat1on to the people
for envtronmental harzards m the areas ofthetr operat1ons
64

ETUBOM(DR.) EVOOKG~ AKAK

The Comnuth.X' 1ncludcs fe\, mcmbers ofthe En1bom TraditJooal (OUJlCII ofthe
Obong and all Clan Heads 111 Bakass Loca l Govemment Area, or theu Representauves.
wrth fiM edler knowlcd~~ble members of the con1mw1ity But before arrangements
were cornpleted for rts settmg up. Ch1ef Lulu Bnggs. Cllamnan and Ch1ef Executlve.
Mau Poto Ltd, from Port Harcourt arn~ after long expectatiOil for a courtesy visit to
the Obong-m-rounc I a1 2 1st May. l QQ8 He receaved a wam1 welcome that was followed
wnh d1scussions and proposals. at d1e end of which a group photograph was take11 111
memory ofthe VlStt Then after lus departure, followed a chraucle of events d1at led to
a senous misunderstandmg between d1e Oboog and his Bakassa subjects Bakass1 NatJ~
Assembly started the ball rollmg. when on 3rd JlUle. l QQ8 a complaint was rece1wd from
there agamst the memberslup COillpOSition ofthe Conml'umty Affaars C'omnuttee.. wtuch
was said to have mcluded noo-mdigenes. 1be Assembly was Jnvtted to the Etubom
Traditonal Cotmcd MeEtmg of9th Jwte, 19Q8 forthe purpose ofdus complamt. ''"~11ch
was length ly and fully dlscussed. but na anlicably disposed of
Since there was no consensus_at the-du;e ofthe mectntg, the C'ouncal agau1 on
16th Jtme, 1998 invtted all clan Heads m Bakassi Local Govemment Area to Jts meetmg
with a view to having the Affairs Commlttee on a prq>er setting lt was however obseMXi
that. as at that ttme, there were three bodles c\anmng to be Bakassa \Vatdt-dogs and
Chaf11>tals in the fonns of BAKASSI \\'ELFARE \1NION, BAKASSI NATIVES
ASSEMBLY AND BAKASSI TRADITION AL CO\INCIL. all wath some pohucal
alignnlelltS The activities of these three bod1es made it unfortwlately not easv for a
compromise in handling the problent and odter sensauve issues on th~ cxplora~on and
operation ofthe Oil Canpanies iil Bakasst Ptlinsula. especial1y as the ncxt v1srt of C1uef
Lulu Briggs , Chanman and Chief ExecutJVe, Mau Polo l.Jd to thc Obatg was bentg

expected wrthm a short tlme

Anaher meeting wth the Clan Heads from Bakass1 v.-as tobe held 111 preparatlon
for the secood vislt ofChlefBriggs, and it certamly took placc on 3rd August. IQQ8 wrth
the Etubom Traditional Council, since the visitor was arrivDlg on the next day. bemg 4th
August, 1998. The meetmg which had actually planned towards the real1.u\tiOil of the
econaruc and social objec:tiw:s of'the Comnumity Affair Cornnutt~. for thc peop\c of
Bakassi and the whole area was asslned to have reached a consensus. but soon aftcr
~ groups of Bakassi brothers tumed the table ups1de down. wht11 a Ietter datt.'Ci 3rd
Au st 1998 fran Bakassi TraditiCJ1al Cooncll to H1s \1ajesly. thc Obong of(alabar. and
m!er of 4th A~ 1Q98 from Bakassi f\atives Assembly to thc Personncl \ 1anagcr.
Noble Drilling (Nig) Ltd, Port Harcourt with a copy to the Obong werc tssuod 111 protcst
. Aftirs committees' involvement and Obong's part1Cip3tl011 lll the affinrs of
agamstO C
~ m Bakassi Penmsula The5e tv.o leners arl' as fol1ov. s

..
h~
rl \e 11 ompan~

WHO OWNS BAKASSI'! ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

i. LEITER TO OBONG

Tlus Ietter to the Obong 1s on the activities of Oil Companies operatmg li\
Bakass1 Local Govemment Area, and prec1sely informs him ofthe oppositton of
Bakasst Tradittonal Council and the people of Bakassi against any attempt on hts
part to depnve them ofthear nghts to deal directly with Oil Companies in all matters
relating to 011 explorat1ons and operat1ons in Bakassi Peninsula. It strongly wams
htm agamst a repeuuon ofthe Ogoni inc1dent that led to loss of lives among other
thmgs for not allowing the ind1genes to have direct dealings with the Oil C~mpam~
th ear area. Th e protest Letter carnes
10 ssgna
5 with cop1es to Hts
t one
operatmg m
.
d
Excellency, Military Admmtstrator, Cross Rtver State, Chief Lu~u Bngg~o~es
Personnet Manager, Mobil Oil Ltd, Port Harcourt. lts contents with stgn
are herem produced for venfication and authentscity as Appendix IX.

ii. OBONG'S REPLY

ts Authors to
1
The Etubom Trad1t10nal Council, in its reply to the above, gets
knoVv that
e all Efiks
. ce they ar
1
The 01l Compames cannot darectly deal wth them sm
d waterways
under the Obong of Calabar as arealso the Iands, creeks an dance with
'
ccor
m Bakasst under the supreme authonty of the Obong 10 a p insula and
thetr 1884 Declarattons tn whach all the people of Bakass d~~aon of the
1
around declared as bemg subject to the authonty and Juras t 1ons they.
t

o
clara
(\.mgs and Chtefs ofOld Calabar l11erefore by these e
. d' ction

ndJur15 1
the1r people and Bakasst Penmsula are under the authonty a . fonnerlY
ofthe ObongofCalabar as successortothe raghts ofoverlordshP 5 were
cxcrctsed and Clljoyed by Efik Kmgs, Wlth whom the oec1a rauon
s~ned.
.
d akaSS1
II
ln the Ietter. dated 8th May. IQ73 from Ch 1ef Edet Okokon Ese an them in
people to the Ambassador for Ntgena m the Cameroons. all of firtnS
1
Bakass1 referred to themselves as Efiks. and th 1s automattcally also con ler
the1r belllg under the Obong ofCalabar as thetr over-all Paramount Ru
and Grand Patriarch
111

Agam m the1r Pet1t1on to the Md1tary Admuustrator, Cross R1ver State on

\gcna-Cameroon border d1spute. they openl) declared.

ETllBOM (DR.) E\'0 01\0:'11 AKAk

~ would therefore hke to re-affinn that the entrre Bakassr Pemnsula rs

pllf and parcel terntory ofthe Obong of Calabar''. and add

"T/te Treaty of 1884 designuted the entire JJaku ...'ti Penin ...ulu u...
l~r the I HH.J Anxlo -Ejik
Treaty, Britain held the land (aka.'i.'ii) in trU.'il for the Ohong t~f
Calabar, and should not tran.ifer it to u third pur!) without tlle ton.\elrt
of the Obong of Calabar ".

part of the Ohong of Colabar territory...

IV

V.

lfthey know ~e above to be true, as it ts certainly tmc. whv then do they

;:nt
to negottate with a third party for the resources of B~kass1 wtthout
e consent ofthe Obong of Calabar"
In the above ctted Petit100 0
.
this Protest a
r. Ard11oong E Young. one ofthe stgnatones to

people furthe~sa~st the Obong and Mr. 0. U Edet 011 behalf of cthcr 8.1kassr

111e only acceptabl

wftich E!1
th
e soluttOil n the prest!lt border cns1s 1s an arran!,retllt:tlt
sures e complet
th
belmg to the Ob
e retum to N1gena ofall tcrritories (8ak.1ss1 cic) at
Qlg of Calabar"
After the 1913 AngJo-<J
Gennan th
ennan Treaty wfud1 was sa1d to ha~ a..todcd &1~1ssr to
0
~UK~ng
of C'alabar. OBONG EDEM EFEFIONG <ADAM
and p
J
) sent a delegat1011 of rwo Efik sons Pnnce &1Sscy Dukt.
rmce ames Eyo lta w11o later became l\111g E\''0 Hausv I~ of Crtl!k
T~ t0 En Ia
any atternpt act or proposal o f rJtJl nattm:'
as an dJ g nd to protest agamst
"-- m cataoo ofhis concem over d1c iss' ue ru1d owncrslnp ofBakass. \\iuch
uaatgs to th Efik

Bakas51 fr e
s wtth hun as , .. Lord ofall
0111
tune anunemonal remau1s an Efik terrrtor\ undcr du: 511 P"",'"'
atJ uthonty
ofthe
Oba1g ofC aIabar Jony bcfore Capram
.
7 ~
.
Barba s \1SJ1 of I (' o~
le retgn ofKmg Duke EpJ1nam (Duke Aphrom) ahas Etiom Ed"," Etiom The
name Bakassa Jt.self. IS sa1d ro have ~'t.,t cJcnvXJ ffom -\b&~s Ekc ofOid 1""1 '
(Obutong). a PolrtJcaJ Agent who was senr thcre a1 .:!7rh -\pnl. 18" b~ Claudc
~lacdonald. Commisstooer and Ca1sui-General fur d~ 011 RrH.'rs ProtL'\.fflrcd'c
statJoned at Calabar The presenr inhabttants ofBak:t~st :-tf'l' n141111l' ~nd rrld'tf~
fiorn our vanous cJans. Houses and fanubes. and fot &lkJ!:t.\lll' "'' "1u1 a \rg'-' '-
terntory an the Cross Ra\-tr Slate. all documalts to dtc \\o1ld Coutt .uau l1L1.'(t
\ataats ongmated frorn rhe Palacl of rhc Ohou~ '' C;ll:th.,, .. 1,~_ '1.' ~,II
1 urhorrrres and rrghrs O\Cr ..1k.1sq \\dl ,1!~o l'Or'n~ ll ._nt.lll,lh

EPHRAiM

...

,.,

llus Repl), dated August 6, I QQ8 and SJ171led b\ the rll

E b
') f th
~
\ 31111Wll. lll Oll\
TradnJona I Co.unct o e Obong of Calabar' Etubon1 Jt n.. 111 E Jb I1am. an d t1le
Secretary, Chref Emang Ess1en went wtth cop1es to aiJ concemed as tndrcatcd tn
the Bakass1 Trad1tronal Councll's Ietter already produced herem

iii. LEITER TO PERSONNEL MANAGER

ThesecondJetterof4th August, JQQ8 went from Bakassr Natr\CS Assemblv
tothe Persormel Manager, Mobrl Drillmg (Ntg) Ltd w1th a copy for mformatlon t~
the Obong and a copy to Ch1ef Lulu Bnggs at Port Harcourt Thrs Ietter was also
on oil drilhng and exploratton m Bakass1 Local 6ovemment Area w1th special
reference to Noble Drilling {Nig ) Ltd, wh1ch was asked to rgnore the Ietter sa1d to
have been addressed to the Company by the Community Affa1rs Committee of
the Palace ofthe Obong ofCalabar The Assembly wants the dn Ilmg and exp lorat101t
of crude oal mthe area tobe a direct affatr between the Company and the people
of Bakassi, and further drssocrates 1tself from the actJVJttes of the Commumty
Affairs Comnuttee.
The Ietter ends up with the intension ofthe Assembly to v1sJt the Personr1el
Manager ofthe Company on a Wednesday at I 0 a m In I QQ8, but without tixmg
the date Its contents with 16 signatories areherein produced as Appendix X

iv. OBONG'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A very brief acknowledgement, dated 6th August. I QQ8 from the Etubom
TradJtionaJ Councll ofthe Obong of Calabar stmply dtrects the Assembly to
(i.)

The J884Anglo-EfikTreatyanwatisnowknownandcalled Bakassr Pen111sula

~u.)

TI1e Petition to Military Administrator of Cross Rtver Stare on the N JgeriaCameroon border cbspute signed by Dr A E Yotmg and Mr 0 U Edet of 3
Duke. Town Drive, CRS Housmg Estate, Calabar for and on behalf of the
inhab.rtants ofBakassi Pepmsula, Akpabuyo Local Govemment Area

(i.)

~e Jetter of 8th May, 1973 addressed to HJs Excellencv, the Ambassador for
Ns::.m cknCamerooo by eleven Representattves of Bakasst
s 8 owledgement t11ds with a Note, whtch reads

Etu

"Piease read these documents and sirnilar others for

gtudance. Yours faithfull y.,.

Frnallv th
- e

fo

your '" nllatton and

68

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO 01\.0N A 1\A K

The Chaarman and Secretary, Etubom I E lbitam and Chief Eniang Essacn
respccttvely signed the document on behalf ofthe Etubom Traditional Counctl of
the Obong ofCalabar, with copies to the Personnet Manager. Mobtl Dnlling (Ntg )
Ltd And Chief Lulu Briggs, bothat Port Harcourt

\.

FACTS AND COMMENTS

These Protests, put tagether constitute a darect confrontatton and challenge

to the authority, JunsdicttOn and supremacy ofthe Obong of Calabar over Bakassa
Penmsula as a whole. Their contents are not true to facts as shown m the two
rephes from the Etubom Tradittonal Council of the Obong. that have posatavely
thrown back the challenge to the challengers, who on the other hand. have
themselves acknowledged the Obong m practice and m thear prevaous
correspondences as thear Paramount Ruler and Grand Patnarch of the Efiks
wherever (mcludmg Bakassi) they are located
Consequently, being Efiks as they agree they are, d1ey ought not to have
allowed the oil wells of Baksssi. along wad1 the abundant resources there on land
and an the waters to make them msolent and msubordinate to the authonty and
supremacy ofthe Obong, who forever remams tobe thetr Royal Father. with supren~e
authority over the whole terntory of Bakasst and hts cther domains as 1t had so been
from tame ammemonal These are the cogent facts that cannot be destroyed lt as
also a fact ofhastonc sagmficance that the United Nataons Massaon enroute to Bakasst
m 1996 had rts first contact wrth the Obong an his Palace, where all documents,
memoranda. mfomlataon and duectives ernanated before thc Mission moved out to
Bakassi
C'ertamly. the Massion did not go first to Bakassa before comu1g to see the
Obong Otherwase, it would mean placmg the cart before the horse. and af tJus as
done, the horse would not be able to move Wltil the cart as placed behmd at Thas 1s
exactly what the Bakassi Petitioners are trying to do, by asking the 011 Compames to
deal with them first and directly before seeing the Obong, in all transactaans relatlng
to oal explorattons and operations in the Peninsula But wath duc regards to the
authority and supremacy ofthe Obong over the a rea. Oal r ompames operatmg thcre1n
and m <Xher territories ofthe Obong, as a rule and condition, ought to have thcar first
cootacts with the Oboog-in-COWlcil before anythmg is dooe an those areas of operat1ons
This isthebest solutaon to the confhcts and stalemate 111 thc operataon of crude
oil industry in Bakassi Peninsula. and is indeed, the best way 1f Bakassa C'ow1cal and
Assembly can place their cart behind, instead of before thcar horse However,
()()

WHOOWNSBAKASSI? ANIE ENYENE BAKASSI?

ceremonies for appeasement of Efik deities can be clone w1thout joint partic1pat1on f
the Obong-in-Council, when they pertain onlyto matters and people ofthe commmut~
but all others connecting foreigners or fore1gn elements, as was the case wrth Straba~
C'ompany m the constructiOO of Atimbo Bridge m Akpabuyo Local Govemmertt
Area, Obong-m-Council's partic1pation 1s a must, for d1rectives and guidance Th1s
1s the tnath and the reason why the Obong-in-C'ouncil comes mto the Bakass1
appeasement ceremony
Fmallv. as already md1cated. the Obong-m-fou_ncll 1s fully prepared to
work hand 111 glovcs wtth honest. smcere. and comm1tted ctttzens of Bakass1
n
tl
cw to achtevmg the best for the people an(j the Efiks as a
P"nmsu

1a w1 l a v1
,, t
f
.
~n We further re-affirm here that the supremacy of the
0
a ton o grcat tcn \
th" people and Ef1k nat1on as a wholc. 1s not a matter f01
Ob ong ovcr Bakass1. \;
ottat 1on at all. but a customary and tradJtlona 1bJrt 1,_
dcbatcs controvcrsv or neg
rJsmg frolll the Oncntal (ulture. customs and nonns ofth,
l of t lle Ob ong. a
''glt
\\I Se and anctent peoples of thc Far East
the truth and mdecd noth lllg uut thc uuth h
lllese are tl le f:acts
.
.
ass 1brothers m theu S 0 S Ot I(JX I to P~t.sJdcnt ~h:t:
k
accor dmg to our Ba
~
r
ons hosuhtJes m Bakass1 '\\c as tht cnt11~ Et1~ tllhl a!l.
SI1agan on \ amero
pcoplc w1th a long h1storv'
\'i. OliR BROTHER'S I(EEPER

Our Brothers of Bakass1 mtlus confllct need tobe onented on the pnnc1ples
of bem, QUR BROTHER 'S KEEPER Dr Spencer Lew1s F R C has a Iot on
tlus ph~osophy for those of us who wanttobe our Brother 's ~eeper H1s words
are words ofw1sdom for us and mankmd to share, follow and practase, afwe want
to be our Brother's Keeper. He wants us to know that we should not claim to
have unhmited pn.vlleges and nghts, or be as free as atr by precasely domg anything
we l1ke, because each one of us to a certain extent, is hts brother's keeper.
Certainly, none of us can hve and thmk and act msolatton without having
some mfluence or effect upon others, since according to htm, "One 's hberues are
rhe llbert1es of everyone. h1s power ts a pan of the umted power of all being''_-'111at 1s why the Law of Naturetakes mto cons1deraon the utmost good and the
l 1tnlost benefit ofall llving bemgs. and again mhts words "Unttl we
place
urselves
m
atonement
w1th
thas
thought
and
gmde
ourselves
accordinglv
we
a
0
tl
-.
re
ol.lt 0 fh amlony Wl l UniVersal law" ~~

70

ETUBOM(DR.) EYOOKON AKAK

Therefore, we must be mmdful and very careful of our weakness and the1r
others, smce no one can continue to enjoy what is rightfully his as weil
~snother's, ifhe or she 1s sendmg forth or producing what is destructive, unkmd,
~s1derate, and out of harmony with the universe. lf we and our Brothers of
B.tkaSSI can keep these principles in mind and Iimit our personal ambitions that
~Jd bnng sadness, want, or suffering to others, we all will be our Brother 's
~eeper m 8akass1 and throughout the universe, in as far as we are guardtans of
h!S, as weil as our own interest
lfth1s 1s done, our personal feelmgs and self mterest can thus be extended
co mclude concem for the welfare and well-being of others. a sense of JUstice,
Jove, compasston and companion, all of which in the fmal assessment of events
w1ll combme to resolve the present contlict between the Obong ofCalabar and h1s
Bakass subjects Tius 1s how to be our Brother 's Keeper
~ upon

BAI4ast

TRADITIONAL COOlOlL
c/o Abana
Balraaai L.O.A.

Our Rer: D!C/OR/Vol.J/01/QB

Auguat

~.

1998

Bi& "ajut1
Tbe Obong ot Cahbar
? , lnaa Street

Calobar

Tour ftaj'eat7

!C'l'IVITIES Ol OlL COMPAMiffi OPERATING IN BAJtASSI

IbCll dOVEiHhi'M' 1Di: Hli+tHS lll81N

Vith utaoat Hlpect ond huailit;y, ve the Bataaei Trad1Uonal

Council, tor and on bebalt ot tbt entire Bataaai peoplt vl
to intora Tour
f'lujoety or the activitiea ot oll
coapaniea oparatins in Dnkaaai and wi1h to atate 11 tollova 1

1.

That vt will !oc 11 i tate oil companiea to pay

to Dis t1nJr.AtJ nnd his Troditional Court

t, ve will o-rt~ooe a litaationt-Vbere they fail

~oaage

aake direct contact vith tbe Traditional Council,

aw tha entire Bnkaaai people vbo will be directl1

atfected bJ envirou11ontn 1 hAznrds aa a rAsu 1t ot oil

explorotion and otlu~r N'loted nctivities in the area.

2.

t1a;y ve olso 11lr.1t II i s f'lnjl'&ty thAt thc bsence ot (1)

above in Ogoni lantl r"nullnil in nnwn"t:on dP.9tt"J~tion

ot Uves ond propcrt ics nnd the at tendant problau

it brought to thr. vholn nr.tion, the san l!lituat:f:on
abould not repe:lt itoelf in Bakaasi-

Sequel to tbe 11eP.tinr.; beheen the EtuDo' s Traditional

Council and tbe Bakassi Trilditional Council held oa

Monday 3rd Augu11t, 1C)9B, we aro avare that arra.D~entl

are on to oppeooP the dei tiea ot Bakaui b1 the oil
companiea vhicb have, up till nov, not ude dirtot
contact vitb us. Wo thererore appeal to Your J1ajeat1
to intervene and provoil on tbe oil copaniea to uke

tbe necesaary arrangc.ente vith u1 devoid ot &111

intenedi&J7 in the intereot ot their operatioa1.

Ia Ylev ot the Rbove, ve viah to atate categorioallJ

that ever: ~ubeequent arrenge!ltDta vitb oil coiiJ)ID~II
and other uttera nrrectips Bakuai ebould be

aegotiated dlrectly vith the people ot Baka11i VI

bave at ao tiM boen !nvolved in tbe aharins ol

ro1altila aocrulll to anr otber Etik aettleenta or C'tber
eoMunitiefl (o.g. rn.ol I:J pc.1ing J'OJ"Oltit.s to !U.aAkb, Odukrani ar! Adiubo Itot Otu-lbuoti'Hobil, .'l'idex,
Inttl Barv oaa 111 . IJ 11 ormrntios in Calabar alOD tbl
ltariao nie).
.

~ !oreso1DS lbc.ri)o our f11Unsa aa4- opi.DiODa and v

bt):;t due condderat1on vi \1 bo st..vea to "tb lltttr ucl .
tJttattd ae appropriatu.

II t;ADQUAI{TERS:
AbauTum~

llabaii ..(:.A

.. - ' - 'h~
YHrKd: _ _
~

.........._....,,..

Tbe 'Peraoanel Manaser

lobh Dr1111ns U11sJ LLd
IH ~ Aba-P/Horcourt Elprc)i.,wty
Port Hercourt.

Oll. DllLLUO &ID llPLORATlON 11 DAUSSI LGl

Vo bave obaervtd wlth Rtudlcd ~llcnco the act1vlt1es of 011 Copaa1tl

esptclally Hoble , , Opornt1ng llakos:il LGA ond wish. to stato u

rollOVS I
( 1)

Wa

are 1n111re

U1a~ ~hu

p11lncu or tho Obont; of Clabar had set

up 11 l,;uaa1ttoo nown n: Cuuuil; ":r.:&:l~

drown

rro tho

vorlou: l.liA:.; umJ

poople woro co-oplcl tnto lhnL

~ew

CoiG:.:u.c.c

lnlure~L urou~

t:oml(lllc~

aLidru:.el to your Culll1any w1lh o CC\lleqt t.hn L"

"1:.~

ony olhcr pcr:HJII ., pul'portlne; to

Counc1l
We

lH!

or tho co.. ulllllc: wlll uo uono

tho nat1Vo: or

Unk<~:t,

u~

~lth

pcol'lO

muIJurs.

uncJ u lut.\.or
tran~ac

t1ons

rcprc~cnttng

ol your own

the

rl:ik",

Tr;tultlonal Rulers, Loaders or thousht.a,

Youth and Wo11en Leader:~ want~ to state categorically clear that

thiJ dr1ll1ng

nn~ ~:<plnrnt.lon

or crude oll 1s done ln Bakud

un ~bat. the Ur:;t r~,~ or roror.Jnce iiwst lii

lhe

Bakan1 CoaaunHJ

fvho wlll bu \llrcclly nl'l't.wlml by lho unvlronontnl h:1rzard1

IIAnaUns rroa 011

liSGlu;.~t.

\lrlllln~ au~

tbo J.tUrpol,l.:cJ

oxp\orntlon oporRllonaJ

lualcu~LJult!i ~~o:~.tt.luul.l dlt.llu:J:JI:\1

ovtr .and

tu you

rro t.he Obonia Couucll,

(Jt

IIIV18 ObllrYt.d LhuL lhu lrl 'r I Llcl'l of Coaal tluu

wU1 jOt
Ollt'dr,

1\'Oll

or

thO polan

~trve

our lul.t'lrcHL, ww want Lo co111u~oly d1uocllto

f'rn LI" .IC 1.1 v I llC" or Uu~ Coultlo-: nnd to rul'lhtr

lnf~rl YOU ~hat (II ~II! lii~OI'U'Il

ur

yuur orarull110:1 1 Yllll

d11'1Ct.lJ wHh Lflc ll:tlcll'l;ll C:orobrunl l.y D! l:t obt\llnel.l ln

prctduclns Aro~:. (Unk II .;.rtnot lll u11 r~x~ertluu.)

IIUl'tt

den)

othtr olL

( J)

"''''-r.-voo

con~"queOllYo

aau 1.110 UllK&:!Sl

A:~aebly

an

ubrolln or~urlllluu ur .111 Bakau1 people shall YlUt. you

00

Wednordny

A copY of thl., l('ttcr 1101

lll'OO

:aont lo the Obongs Councll ror

111 rorallOfl,

stiJUll OlOKOH lUOl

CLU HIAD, ADANA ..

CIIIEF Oll, A. IL YUUNCl

2.

-_"
' .. ..

t'IIKSII>ENT., ... ,........

CHIEF ETIH OKOH

1::ruooH a. (:;. o. A:iUllllll

CLAN IIEAU
t?r
AT A1 EHA.

~1-:-:!...

..... ..

M, ANT IGIIA E, A!iUUUO

Ar-ST. !~!::CIII::TI'I!Y. ~ .. , ,.

6.

CIIIEF EDET t:TIH

VILLAGE IIEAD

t:n'IOH.~.
.

ONOSI. , , , , , , , , , , ,

EHHANUEL EFf'IONG l::n~jc

COHHUNI'rY LJ:::AV.~:n ,~"f"";Y..,,

7.

8. &-!ION. COUNCII.LOII

llt::~~'N
g. ~Uy:~
~1.., ....

AKPAKANYA wt.uu

9.

v . .

~JION. COUNCJL~~-

10.

~.TIH
..... ... ........
..

ADANA WAIIU. I~
IION. AtH t::lllC
AKWA

11.

12.

13.

' :r

~;::;1 N':J.;_.

CL~. ~

dJf/

liASSEY EKrt::H~OHli A:.u

ASST, YOUTH LEAllER. (! ,1{.

CIIIEF PIIILLU' ANX~' -7

;~::' II~~~ ~~~~~ .. . 1;J)t

,
CHIEF EN! OKON lDOK
COHHUNITY LEADIW. ..

!f-

OODWIII IDI'f NSA

COMMUNIT! LIADIR. " ..

'
-~c;~~

r.

__

1-::.

E~U:T

DEPUT'f PRESW!:;NT.

4.

1~.

~-*(tiL

t=,berf)

\-~A \--

l{, rH\lllf t,po

CJ..AN

,rAf~NPJJ

~t'Lfc;i

C-Pia.i 'tJ~

\::A_

~-IJ\) l~t,(.L

fd"

l.

.J

'-1
.~

l.

1
\

'
~

..
-

I;

"

,:

e'

;;;l

"

&:

..,

~~

!l

s.

"

"

'
\.

....

:PT

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAk

II

XI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

II

N OVERALL ~sessment of records and events at this stage of our

research shows that the present claims of ownership of Bakac;:t. in tlus
Oth century is the end-product ofthe European scrambles for Africa and
the final partition ofthe Black continent by European Powers in the 19th centu~.
1bis work gives a vivid portrait of events in the historic era of developm~ with
particular reference to the role of Britain and Germany in ~e sharing of Bl_ack
Aftica by the \Vhite Nations. We have extensively dealt wtth what transptred
between these two Powers in their struggles from 1885 to 1913, and the presatt
conflict between Nigeria and Cameroon arising from their 1885 treaty on Rio del
Rey boundary in Bakassi Peninsula. Having gone so far, we now draw the curtain
with a briefSununary and Conclusion as follows:

i. SUMMARY & MARUA DECLARATION

The Anglo-German Treaty of 188.5 started the ball rolling as we have aJready
said by giving Bakassi Peninsula to Britain with Rio del Rey as their intematimal
boundary, having Gennany to the east with Cameroon, and Britain to the wett
wilh Nipria. Neither ofthe two parties knew du ring the signing ofthe treaty that
the Rio del Rey waa not a river aasuch when they 11sumed it to be an eighty mile
long river, because as Oscar:~ de puts it "One of the most apparent fallacies of
the asswnption was that in the 188S and other aubaequent 18reetnentJ, Ri..> del
Rey, located in the Southem-most sectlon waa auumed tobe 1 river 80 milealong,
and ftowing into the sea, whereas subsequent explorations revealed that the Rio
del Rey wu not a nver at all, but an estuary which continued in land, and al10 was
a maze of creeks containing smallstreams linking two larser llreanu the Akpayafe
and Ndian".4SI
Gennany having thua discovered her disadvantage potrtlon m the barpin.
as being canfined to the extreme IOUth-eut of the Rio del Rey, and completely tut
oft" fran the Palinsula, with no aceeu to it. demanded an unmediate review of'the
treaty in 1886. This and subsequent .revilwl by J1e80ttltaons and agreementa 11
said earlier followed up to the 1913 Agreanmt, whtdl concbtaonally was to adjust
the boundary westward in favour ofGermany, but unfortwwely, thele proposals
were ovenaken by the even1.1 of the F1nt World War of 1914, whict. brouaht to an
end all endelvoun, since Gennany lost tbe war, and the proposed Aaeeuat or
treaty eventually and inevitably d1ed 1 natural death

\\ ttO

OW~S BAKASSI'! A~IE EN)' EN E BA KASSI'.'

Today, we are now faced with the ghost ofths dasputed I Q 13 Anglo-German
Treat~. which is the cause of the present Bakassa d1spute between Nigeria and

Cameroon We are therefore, tobe very objective m the re-exammation ofthe pro
and con m our Summary so as to arnve at a logically balanced conclus1on that lS
fa1r. JUst and equally objective To this end. we have to go a bat back for proper
hnking offacts and events, as we have already come to the pomt that the IBIS
treaty was in favour of Britain, leaving Gennany in the Iurch This unbalanced
situatioo led to subsequent negotiations of 18 86 up to I Q 13 in additaon to others of
1902 and 1904 oo Yola axis to Lake Chad and the I QQQ adJustment on Yola dowo
to the end of Rio del Rey ~'
lnspite ofthese repeated negot1atoos. efforts and endeavours. Gennany up
to 1906 was still ftoating and unsatisfied. even though the November 15, 1893
Agreement had somehow gtven her a ray ofhope by attemptmg to streamlinetbe
boundary in additioo to the Februar) 12. 1906 Agreement wh1ch further provided
forequal fishingandnavigatioo rights oo the river boundaries This 1Q06 consenJUJ
still made it poss~ble for indtgenes occup}1ng land due to be transferred to the odMr
Power, free to choose wtuch siele of the nver they w1shed to settJe. while Local
Representattves ofthe two Powers were also free to use thear discretion in varyin&
tbe boundary line by mutual agreemeot f local conditions so demanded None of
tbese proposals and concessions sausfied Gennany, because she finally real.illdt
tbat tbere was no substance 11 taang about ..land due tobe transferred .. or vat)'ia(t~
the boundary line by mutual agreement'', ..-.iuch m both cases. the transfer of=t~
rernamed ever m the pipeline, while boundary vanataon md1cated havmg no fi _- __. ___ :
boundary a1 all.
: .
Because ofthese glaring anomalies. ambgurt1es and uncertamtJes, Ge=~
-":'
pushed further abead for the 1913 ~reaty wh1ch lmked up as a recu rnng deci _.. _ _
problern an as much as the boundary JSsue remamed ever comphcated and unsof
: ;A. G. Fowler's expenence oo thisproblem s weiland fully recorded mlus Ietter ~"
:..J:
Aprill.S, 1895 toH.B.M High Commssoner, Claude Macdonald an respect ofthe :;
dfficulties, obstacles and p'roblems in his attempt to demarcate the boundary hne~. :.:~..
m the -duputed Rio del Rey boundary as earher mdtcated herem The High ~~-
Comnussioner himlelf mh1s Protest Lter of 18th December. 1894 to the Govemor :
of Cameroon on German attrocrt1es an the Bakass1 Pemnsula confim1ed that there
was no boundary demarcation as envtsaged m the 1893 Agreement. and further
Wd:
o'

80

ETUBOM(DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

"I eGlinot in anyway recognise the existence of a station until tht

ckUmltation which I believe is short(v tobe taken in hand, has /aid
dow11 wltere tlte boundary is to be".

h is therefore, not possible, in view ofthese in-between ftuitless negoiiat&ons

up to 1909 with the delimitation and demarcation problems, to believe that the 1913
u.ty did solve the 1885 Rio del Rey boundary treaty problern between Britain

IDCI Germany. A.rticle 20 of the 1~ 13 Agreement was only introduced to cause

more disagreement and complication, since it merely speculated that if Akpayafe

River changes its course and transfers its waters to the Rio del Rey, the area shall
remain German territory. Tius Article 20 was inexplicit, dubious and ambiguous
because if the river does not change its course and/or does not transfer its waters
to the Rio del Rey, the territory shall not be for Gennany. And none of the two
Powers could thereafter teil or confinn whether the river did change its course or
oot, or whether it dld transfer its waters or not to the Rio del Rey. The Agreement
in sho~ fell below expectatton, and was above all, swallowed up by the 1914
World War.
Unfortunately, this is the Article which the Secretary-General ofthe United
Nations is said to have comrnented upon in favour ofCameroo~ in respect of~e
1913 Treaty, which bad certainly been declared n~ll and votd, becau~e of 1ts
numerous flaws, defects and defic~encies - ~echmcal.' legal~ c~ventaonal or
~- The First World War mevrt.ably got rt frozen m the pape-lme, estopped,

~ and buried in the course of the war, and Cameroon consequently cannot
~ tbe basis ofthts grounded treaty, clatm what Germany, her Colonial Master had

lost in the war.

81

Cameroon on the oth h

Germany, her Coloni:~ M~d, could not and cannot inherit anydun ~ \
World Wars she had cau stde~, that ~~d lost aJmost everything in t~.::
se m add1t1on to her

~
tenns of Money Men and M t .
paymg very heavdy ~
World
'
a ena 1s, as the 'PHREE Ms ofthe Ec~
Smce we had earlier mentioned Akwa lbom State ha .
h
.
as vmg once clalhfd
owncrs 1p of Bakasss1 PenmsuJa on the basis of its aJJeged administration of'the
area under Eket or Mbo LocaJ Govemment Area, we can as weil re,..affirm hert
that, Jt could not be possable or pract1caJ for Akwa fbom State which was then nu
m cxtstence to administer anything or anywhere. The Peninsula as a whol~. was
admm1stered by the former Cross River state in accordance with the various Laws
and mstnunents already Jisted in this work up to 198 7 when Akwa lbom State
camc to b1rth lt 1s however fortunate that the one-time claim of the Akwa lbom
Statc had already b1tten the dust. lt 1s dead, buned and forgotten
ii. {'ON('LilSION

The QllESTION ts, WHO OWNS BAKASSI'> And the ANSWE,R 1s,
RA"ASSI BELONGS TO THE Efii\S. who are of Efik stock and ong~
tdenttfvmg rhcmselves as Efik m language, cufture. custom. nonns and tradatlon
thc pc~plc Thts 1s what Mr. Okon Us1m Edet and alf orhers o~ Bakassa Penm~ula.
"' thc11 S 0 S of September I, I<l81 to Presadcnt Shagara uphefd by sa\ mg Mr
Pr~.stdcnt. we as the entare Efik tnbe, are a people wath a long lusrory \\-e would
llk~: to makc tt caregoricallv clcar that thc area compnses a mamland arca whose
tnhabttllnts. that ts oursclves are the trad1tJonallandlords ofthe d1spured border ~
\1t Edct and hts people fitnher sa1d that Usak-Eder pcople are Etik. and
tiH. gtclltcst lcgacy Usak-Edct m pantcular has contnbutcd to the Efik - speakany
\\orld. accordtng to them. ts .. Ekpe Socaety' as the htghest socao-culturnl and polattcal
otg;mtzatton ofthe Efiks Sttll on senlemcnts wttlun the area, Chaef Edet Okokon
Es~: ;~nd othNs of Atabong and Abana mcludm~ others of the!tr stock. 111 rhetr
L~o.trcr ofXth \1J.\. IQ73 to Hts Excellency, the Am~1Ssador for ~~y~na 111 (amcroon
satd among othct thmgs

84

ETUBOM (DR.) EVO OKO~ AKAK

had undi.\turhed oc:cupution of th~ lluha.'i.'ii Peninsula, beinR

to no peopl~ or trihe.' whatson'er. We veh~~ntly declare
htrehy, a.. the uhtwe fact.' cun testify, that we a/1 art' aborlginal and
ltgal ownen of the ji.-ehinx ...enlement... of the Jlaha.fsi PeninJu/a".
hcl''t

ttnunt,

On Mr Edet's reference to Usak-Edet and .. Ekpe Socaety" to the Efik, we

belteve that Efik culture 1s never statac smce 1t adapts atselfto changang conditaons

and adopts the best of everythmg that comes by, to enrach. blend and hannonise its
own s~stem lt has therefore. come to be part of Efik history that one Asibong
Ekondo from Usak-Edet dad sell the secrets ofsomc .. Ekpe" grades to the Efiks at
,cr~k Town at the early stage ofthear arnval there Asbong Ekondo's wrfe who
~.Kcompanu~d ham \vas satd to be l\1utaka '' But thesegrades were mere additaon
ro what the Efiks had ongmallv had as "Nvana Yaku ... whch gradually evolved
mto ts prescnt structurc and c~mpos1t1on of "Ekpe Efik lboku"
llh.' acqu~rcd grad~s wcre fasluoncd mto the Efik "Nyana-Yaku" ofOnental
Ollgm to flirther cnhancc ts prcst~~. and adomm~.~nt _So t as, because A K Han
hils at 111 Jus R\.:'P<'rt 011 t 1h.' D1sputc' Ovcr th~.' Obongslup of(' a1abar. th 8 t

~,

;, <"ertuill "1::/tp, ua, 1101 J.:i''c'll to tlu Eflk" in it.tt prc'"ic.'nt jtJrm.
lhclfik
l

1h
' 11 tl
..
' ltlrtl&.tcr nlll\1 lltn'L' \lrtiJit'IIL't/ it illltlllll c. Cl ONIIC ln.'t I U IHr

Ulld

h~(l

''"'

~111mp t~/' it.t.t

own

trwlitloll on it ". H

From thc above facts. Justory and cxpos 1uons. thc Qllf:STIO"S as to
WHO ..\RE Tlllo: E.'IKS? And \\'HO OWNS AND CONTROLS
B.-\ k..-\S~I? ;,rc nov. satasfuctonl\ f\nd fullv 1mswcred that. nearhcr the Camcroons.
nor Ak\\a lbom Statc of''~!,L'I ~~ has any cli\;lll ofowncrsl11p over BakiiSSI Penansula.
m as much ;15. llOih.' of th~:m can cstabhsh i\11\1hmg wath facts of lustor\'. ev1dence
or proof of O\\llCI shap ofthc terntory Smcc thc h!l ntonall>oundan -national and

mtenlataonal encloses thc Penmsula wathan Fflk land. 111 thc Cross R1ver State of
'gena (n()( \ameroon), thc Efiks arc thercforc. thc exclus1Vt! owners of Baka111
Penmsula under the supremacy. authonty, control and Junsd1ct1on ofthe Obong of
Calabar wtth the whole terntory w1thm the Federal RepubiJc of N1pna These
three hold JOint responsibthty for the terratonal mtcMnty of Bakass1 Penmsula. 11
rhey are equatty respoosable for the welfare and wellbemy ofthe people w1thtn the
Pen ansula and Nagena as a whole
1

f
~

I.. ON(i LIVE &1KA~SI, THE EFIK_S. THE

CRt~ RIVER STATE ~_NIJ Nf(,EIUA.

IS

r . :

"'
..
i

Er

>
c.

g.

..,0

I'

L, .,.Ii
'.\.

THE SECOND PICI'URE H.R.H.

!.

:1

Edidem 8oco fne Mlcpang Cobham V,

Obcmg or Calabar, Paramount RuJer &: Gnad PitrimJI ofthe Efiks.

87

WHOOWNS BAKASSI? ANIE EN\'ENE BAKASSI?

II

XIIREFERENCEANDLITERATURE

II

1. EDE, Oscar, Oyene; The Nigerian-Cameroon Boundariel: Nigerian Porum,

September/October 1981, paae 294
2.

AJOMO, M. A; The Baka11i Peninsula Problem: Legal, Political and

SUiteglc Cooaideratioo1 1994 Judicial Lectul"el for Senior Judicial Oftbn
at Sokoto on Tuetday October 25, 1994; page I .

3.

ANENE, J. C ~ The International Boundaries of Nigeria 188S 1960:

pap46

4.

NAIR, K Y Politic1 & Society m South Ealtem Nigeria: pap 143.

5.

LATHAM,.

6.

OKU, Ekei E11len (Mn.)~ The Kings & Chiefs of Old Calabar 178~
192~:page

~.

H; Old Calabar 1600 1891: page Sl.

14.

7.

CROSS RIVER STATE Oovernment Memorandum: Cross River State

P01ition
Paper on Bakassi Peninsula, pages 6 7.

8.

FORDE, Daryll~ Efik Traders f'Old Calabar: page 13.

9.

lbid~

page 43.
C~

10.

ANENE, J.

II.

lbid; page 19.

12.

lbid; pap SO.

1.1.

MACDONALD, Claude (Britilh CCiliUI); LetterNO.SS oft8th I>ecemiser,

1194 to German Oovemor ofCameroon.
'

M.

AJOMO, M. A.; The Bakau'

The International Boundaries ofNigeria: pages 62- 63

~enmsula

Problem: page 4.

'1~.

ANEN.'i, J. C; Tbo lntemati<X"& Bounderies ofNigeria: papa 67 ~.-68.

16.

1bW; r ",. 69 10.

17.

lbid; .,." 70.

'188

ETUBOM(DR.) EYOOKON AKAK

)9

NAJR, K .K~ Politics &. Society in s.uth Eastem Nigeia page 20 I

ANENE, J. C~ The Jntemataonallloundaries of Nigena: page 71.

20

lbid~

21.

NAJR, K K, Politics & Society in South Eastem Nigeaa. pages 254 -

18

14.

2S~

22

HERTSLEY, Map of Africa byTreaty Volume 111 page 903. Also AngloGennan Treaty NO. 270, Article IV(2) of Ist July 1890

23

AJOMO, M.

A~

24

EDE, Oscar,

Oyene~

25
26

27
28
29

The Bakaasi Peninsula Problem page 4

The Nigerian-Cameroon Boundanes pagc 294

CROSS RIVER STATE Govemment Posrtaon Paperon Bakass1 Pcnmsula

page 12
FREEMAN, William & Others, The Complete SeifEducator pagc

~22

fbid, page 522

lb1d~

page 534

ETUBOM TRADJTIONAL COUNCIL ofthe Obong ofC"alabar. Protest

Letter to Military Govemor, South Eastem State of Nigena on C' ameroon
Attrocities m Bakassi Peninsula, dated 6th July, 1973. page 3

30.

EDE, Oscar, Oyene; The Nigerian-Cameroon Boundanes page 294

31.

lbid~

32.

lbid; page 294.

33.

page 294.

OKU, Ekei Essien (Mrs.); The Kings & Chiefs ofOid Calabar page

234.
34.

lbid~ page 234.

35.

-oiDI Ytll1 in West lndies & Central Afnca

VVADDELL,H.M;~

page 461.
36.

Ibid; page S09.

WHO OWNS BAKASSJ'! ANIE ENYENE BAKASSJ?

37
38

AJOMO, M. A; The Bakassi Peninsula Problem: page 6.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS Declaration of July 10, 1919 in London.

30

AJOMO. M. A. The Bakassi Peninsula Problem: page 6.

~0

EDE. Oscar Oyene; The Nigenan-Cameroon Boundaries: page 299.

:.
~..:

lb1d. page 303

CROSS RIVER STATE Govemment Position Paper on Bakassi

Pemnsula page

-" -~

13e

I b1d. pagr I 3d

~-~

IL-Hd.

~'

-\J0\10 \I .~ ~ llt> Bakass1 Penmsula Problem page 8

.J~

E.DE Osca1 \t'lh~. TI1e N1genan-Cameroon Boundaries page 2Q8_

l-

pag~

l f\\ IS H Spencer CDr J. F R C. our Brother's "'eeper- Rosacrucian

H~t !tJ~'-

~~J

'I

I ~e

I Dl

\ OL

o~ca,l \'CIH.'.

'c,

Rvct

p:ag'- 7

Tile Ngenan-Camcroon Boundanes paye 20..J

A E. (Dr ). & Others: Petition to /\fll1tary Admuustrator.

Stat~

Cross

on Nyc.a-Cameroon Boundary D1spute page 3

'-'

fDE Oscar Oyene. The N1yenan-Cameroon Boundanes. page lQQ

~.\

lb1d.

~.~

.\~A". Eyo Okon (Or ). Eflks ofOid Calabar \blurne I II &Jage 288
r\lso thtt Palesllne Or.gm ofthe Efilcs. page 44

~~

lh~

p8!,'CS

1QQ )00

\olumc 111. payc 1QJ

ETUBOM (DR.) EYO OKON AKAK

Ii

LITERATURE

II

AJOMO, M. A. Bakassi Peninsula Problem: 1994 Judicial Lectures for

Sen1or Jud1caal Officers at Sokoto on October 25, 1994.
AKAK. Eyo Okon (Dr ); Efiks of Old Calabar \blume 111. Culture 4
Superstrt.Jons - Paico Press &. Books Ltd; Calabar 1982.
AKAK. Eyo Okon (Dr.); The Palestine Origin of the Efiks. Akak 4
Sons. 21 Ekpo Abasi Lane, Calabar 1986.
ANENE, J C~ The lntemattooal Boundaries ofNigeria 1885 -1960.

AYE, E U, Akpabuyo in Transition: Glad Tidings Press Ltd~ Calabar 1994.

EDE, Oscar Oyene~ The Nigerian-Cameroon Bounclaries: Nigerian

Forum - September/October 1981.

FORDE, Daryll~ Efik Traders of Old Calabar.

FREE~AN. Walharn & Othen; The Complete SelfEdueator: Ocilams Preu

Lunited, l..oodon 194 7

GEARY, William Nevill; Nigeria lDlder Britiah Rule: Publilhed 1927 4 1911.
HERTSLEY; The Map of Aftica by ~ \lume l.

LAlliAM, A. J H; Old Calabar 1600 1891: Clanndon Preu. Oxftwd

1973.

LEWIS H Spencer (Dr.), F R. .C; Out Bruher' K~~p: Rolicrucian

H.
entaSe, Volume S, N0.2. 1998.

MOSONGO, AJana Eftlcna-Oftlma; An X-RAY an BUaui Plnillula:

An Unpublilbed M~ UulcEdlt 1990.
NAIR, K. ~ Politie~4 soa.y il South Eaarn NiaiN 1141 1906:
Frank C.. Lmckm I912.

OKU, Ebi &Iien (Mn.); 1be Kiwi 4 ClUI6 ofOid Calabar: Olld 1ldilp
Preu ~.At Calablt J910.
.
WADDBLL. Hope; ~ Ylln il w.t IDdill A Clalnl Alica
1129. 1ua (Samd Sdiiaa): PliDie ea. a eo. lAd; 1AIIdaD 1162.

9\

'I

:I

,,.

Tlll..'.tl'THOR.J WIFE

..

~n...
~