Cameroon has annexed 16 mangrove island villages of Effiat clan in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Punch reports.

Mbo mangrove island is a fishing settlement, which lies west of the Rio Del Ray estuary and serves as the official borderline between Nigeria and Cameroon. The island boasts oil wells and abundant gas reserves.

Mr. Samuel Ufuo, a member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly made this development known when he spoke with journalists on Sunday, March 6, 2016. According to Ufuo, the matter was reported to the state house of assembly a week ago.

Ufuo maintained that the “continued expansionist foreign policy of Cameroon threatens Nigeria’s sovereignty on its maritime border” as he revealed that Cameroonian security agencies had been terrorising Nigerians on the Island as they carry out about their business.

“Cameroon has annexed 16 villages in Effiat clan, Mbo Local Government Area, which were not part of the peninsula under dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon,” Ufuo said.

“Mbo mangrove island is currently under the administrative control of Cameroon. This island is blessed with resources such as minerals and copious fishing routes. The island has approximately 350 oil wells. The strategic economic importance of this region brought the envy by our Cameroon brothers.

“It is pathetic to note that Akwa Ibom people who are living in their villages established when there was no Nigeria or Cameroon as countries are being terrorised, dehumanised, deprived of their rights and privileges and maltreated by Cameroonian security agencies.”

The lawmaker made reference to the March 11, 1913 Anglo-German treaties as reaffirmed by the ICJ (The International Court of Justice) on October 10, 2002. According to that judgement of the world court, Ufuo said, Mbo mangrove island is an integral part of Nigeria.

He condemned attempts by Cameroon to distort the official boundaries demarcating Nigeria and the central african country since the judgement of the world court in October 2002.

“Cameroon in an earlier attempt to take over another part of Nigeria which was not part of the peninsula ceded to it in 2002 removed pillar 113A and started encroaching on our land until Nigerian communities occupying the territory raised the alarm,” Ufuo revealed as he called on the Federal Government to exert its sovereignty over the Island and protect Nigerians living in these communities from brutalisation by Cameroon soldiers.

He also called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to investigation the “annexation of the Island”.

In November 2015, Benin Republic invaded invaded sixteen villages in Okuta, the border town in Baruten local government area of Kwara state, thereby causing serious fear and palpable tension in the affected communities. Similar to this invasion, the Federal Government has not made any statement on the development.

President Muhammadu Buhari had met with Paul Biya, president of Cameroon in November 2015. At the meeting of the two leaders, December 2016 was fixed for the final demarcation of maritime boundaries of the two countries.