MARITIME BORDER AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF BAKASSI PENNINSULA
The study was an investigation of maritime borders and security challenges in Nigeria, with Bakassi peninsula as the case study. The study revealed that several arbitrations procedures on continental shelf and maritime boundaries between nations have been carried out for several decades. The divergent claims of maritime over natural resources of the submerged portions if the earth had given rise to such claims. It is the portions of the earth that had given size to such claims. It is the position of this study that current arbitrations, particularly the ICJ judgement of 2002 that ceded the in peninsular originally in Cross River state, Nigeria to Cameroon, appears to be avoiding development of a detail express formula or procedure for boundaries delimitation. This has created both internal and external security challenges for nation’s security forces in tackling teams-border crimes, arising from the absence of clear policy to combat crimes along clumsy border delimitations. It is the opinion of this investigation that the 2002 judgement has created the impression that a boundary can be delimited without historical and cultural considerations.
Keywords: Maritime, Bakassi Penninsula, Security, Africa
