Abstract

The Nigeria-Cameroun border conflict, which had claimed many lives and properties, was finally resolved on October 2002 following the ICJ ruling which ceded the disputed Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon. The rapidity with which President Obasanjo implemented the handover of Bakassi to Cameroon was seen in the average eye of a Nigerian as a diplomatic blunder considering the historical underpinnings of the people of Bakassi. This study was therefore aimed at a critical examination of the fundamental rights of the people of Bakassi Peninsula in the management of the Nigerian-Cameroun dispute by President Obasanjo. In doing this, the study was anchord on two research questions, thus: (1) Did Olusegun Obasanjo’s support for the ICJ ruling over the disputed Bakassi Peninsula undermine Nigeria’s national interest in the protection of her citizens and territorial integrity?; (2) Has the Nigerian government is inability to explore alternative policy options to ICJ ruling undermined the right to decide where to belong by the Bakassi people?. We used qualitative descriptive method to collect data from secondary sources. Qualitative descriptive method was equally used in analyzing our data. Thus, applying logically the core assumptions of Games theory, the study contended that Obasanjo’s acceptance of the ICJ ruling to cede away the disputed Bakassi Peninsula to Republic of Cameroon was against the national interest of Nigeria. Arising from this therefore, we recommended, among other things, that Nigerian foreign policy machinery should be henceforth situated and located in the hands of experts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page – – – – – – – – – – i Approval Page – – – – – – – – – ii Dedication – – – – – – – – – – iii Acknowledgements – – – – – – – – – iv Abstract – – – – – – – – – – – v Table of Contents – – – – – – – – – vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study – – – – – – – 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem – – – – – – – 3 1.3 Objectives of the Study – – – – – – – 5 1.4 Significance of the Study – – – – – – – 5 1.5 Hypotheses – – – – – – – – – 6 1.6 Thesis and Contributions to Knowledge – – – – – – 6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Literature Review- – – – – – – – – 9 2.2 Theoretical Framework – – – – – – – – 19 CHAPTER THREE: METHOD OF RESEARCH 3.1 Method of Data Collection – – – – – – – 23 3.2 Research Design – – – – – – – – – 23 3.3 Method of Data Analysis – – – – – – – – 24 3.4 Logical Data Framework – – – – – – – 25 CHAPTER FOUR: BACKGROUND TO THE BAKASSI DISPUTE 4.1 Geography of the Nigerian Cameroun Boundary – – – – – 27 4.2 Evolution of Colonial Boundaries – – – – – – 30 4.3 British/German Administration and Obfuscation of the Nigeria-Cameroun Colonial International Boundary – – – – – – – 40 4.4 The Place of General Gowon in the Bakassi Dispute – – – – 51 4.5 Abacha’s Effort – – – – – – – – – 54 4.6 The climax of the Bakassi Dispute – – – – – – 55 CHAPTER FIVE: OLUSEGUN OBASANJO’S SUPPORT OF THE ICJ RULING OVER THE DISPUTED BAKASSI AND NIGERIA’S NATIONAL INTEREST IN THE PROTECTION OF HER CITIZENS’ RIGHTS AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY 5.1 Signing of the Green Tree Agreement Between Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Paul Biya of Cameroun – – – – – – – – 57 5.2 The World Court Judgment and Olusegun Obasanjo’s Support of the UN Mixed-Commission – – – – – – – – 62 5.3 Obasanjo’s Support of the Demarcation of Land and Maritime Boundaries Between Nigeria and Cameroun – – – – – – – – 66 5.4 Support of Withdrawal of Nigeria’s Civilian Administration, Military and Police Forces from Bakassi – – – – – – – – – 67 5.5 The Effects of the World Court Judgment on the Bakassi People – – 68 CHAPTER SIX: NIGERIA GOVERNMENT INABILITY TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE POLICY OPTIONS TO ICJ RULING AND THE RIGHT OF BAKASSI PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHERE TO BELONG 6.1 Political Option – – – – – – – – – 77 6.2 Legal Option – – – – – – – – – 82 6.3 Military Options – – – – – – – – – 92 6.4 The Right of Bakassi People to Decide where to Belong – – – – 95 CHAPTER SEVEN: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 Summary – – – – – – – – – 99 7.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – – 99 7.3 Recommendations- – – – – – – – – 100 BIBLIOGRAPHY – – – – – – – – – 101 Appendix i – – – – – – – – – – 104 Appendix ii – – – – – – – – – – 107