The alleged annexation of communities in Nigeria by neighbouring Cameroon Republic has drawn the ire of most Nigerians.
Some community leaders in Cross River had few weeks ago accused the Cameroonian government of annexing some border communities in Boki, Obudu and Obanliku Local Government Areas of the state.
Leaders of the affected communities claimed several beacon stones demarcating the border between the two counties were either destroyed or relocated.
Worried that the development may lead to hostilities between Nigeria and Cameroon, prominent leaders in southern Nigeria have called on the federal government to urgently wade into the matter.
The leaders in a communiqué issued after their summit in Calabar, condemned the purported incursion into Nigeria’s territory.
They observed that Nigerians had not yet recovered from the loss of Bakassi, adding that the loss of any other territory would be disastrous.
They, however, advocated for traditional rulers to be given prominent roles to play in governance as custodians of the people’s culture and tradition.
According to the southern leaders, ‘We recommend the design of roles for traditional rulers by respective federating units.”