Ten years after Nigeria handed over Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in line with the International Court of Justice ruling, some returnees of Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State extraction in the Bakassi Peninsula now in Cameroon have dragged the federal government to court demanding for a N30 billion compensation.
The returnees in the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, are asking for a whopping N30 billion as compensation from the federal government for alleged acts of betrayal, leading to the loss of their ancestral home at the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon. Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the court has fixed March 6, 2013 for hearing in the matter.
Barrister Ukeme Ekpenyong of Wole Abidakun and Co. law firm had filed a writ of summons and statement of claim before the Federal High Court, Abuja. Listed as 1st to 6th defendants respectively are the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the National Assembly, Cross Rivers State Government, Akwa Ibom State Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The returnees include Bassey Augustine Efiong, Silas Clement Etim, Efiong Bassey Ekanem and Imaobong Edem Efiong are suing for themselves and on behalf of Bakassi Returnees of Uruan Local Government Area extraction.According to the writ of summon, the plaintiffs are seeking against the defendants the following reliefs: * A declaration that the defendants acted outrageously, recklessly, atrociously and unconscionably in their handling of the Bakassi Peninsula hand over issue. * A declaration that the defendants betrayed the fiduciary relationship between them and the plaintiffs by not acting in the best interest of the plaintiffs vis a vis the handing over of Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon. *
