Abuja — House of Representatives yesterday urged the Federal Government to formally report the recent attacks on Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula to the United Nations and the African Union (AU) to ensure that the Cameroonian government abides by the provisions of the Green Tree Agreement.

This came on a day the House also mandated its Committee on Aviation to carry out a detailed investigation into the recent near mishap at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The investigation which is expected to last two weeks will investigate the circumstances surrounding the near collision of a Chanchangi aircraft with an Arik Air aircraft on the runway.

The House also resolved that its Committee on Foreign Affairs should investigate the incident and charged the National emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately resettle the Nigerian returnees from Cameroon.

These resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Beni Lar (PDP Plateau) in which she sought the leave of the House to compel the Federal Government to intervene in the plight of the indigenous people of Bakassi.

Lar said while both Nigerians and Camerounians had always laid claim to the ownership of Bakassi , there had been several border clashes over the oil rich peninsula.

She acknowledged that Nigeria's sovereignty over Bakassi was transferred to the Republic of Cameroun on August 14, 2006, following the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the signing of the Green Tree Agreement. The said Agreement protects the rights of Nigerians living within the territory.

The lawmaker expressed concern that the Cameroonian government has blatantly refused to obey the Green Tree Agreement and have allowed the gendarmes to constantly harass and brutalise Nigerians living in Bakassi.

According to her, Nigerians living in the Bakassi have been rushing back to Nigeria without their properties and are now refugees living in camps in Cross River state.

The motion provoked some emotions as Hon. Bassey Otu (PDP Cross River) latched on it to lampoon the Federal Government over the plight of the Bakassi people.

Otu disclosed that the people of Bakassi never accepted the judgment of the International Court of Justice ceding their land to Cameroun and blamed the then government of President Olusegun Obasanjo for allowing the implementation of the ruling without conducting a plebiscite on the issue.

He said the current skirmishes could have been avoided if the right things were done in the resolution of the dispute.

Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs, Hon. Abdul Ningi also blamed the crisis on the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.