Indications emerged that the House of Representatives would explore diplomatic solutions between Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon in resolving the plight of the citizenry in Danare and Biajua communities bent on remaining with their kith and kins in the country.

The Chairman of the House Adhoc committee probing into the potential land encroachment by the Cameroonian government, Mrs Beni Lar dropped the hint during the proceedings of the committee argued that it would be inhuman to allow the affected communities loss their preferred nationality.

Said she: “There has to be a political solution on this issue. There has to be a way to keep our brothers and sisters in Nigeria by using diplomatic channels.

“I can’t imagine waking up and be told you are not a Nigerian. How would you feel. From the human right angle there has to be a way where on compassionate ground we find a way to solve this issue.”

Lar spoke after she was informed by an official of the justice ministry that the 10 years window for Nigeria to appeal the judgment of the international court of justice (ICJ) ruling that ceded Bakassi and other parts of the country to Cameroon had elapsed.

The Plateau born lawmaker who disclosed that the committee would embark on a fact finding mission to the affected areas expressed readiness to meet with top government functionaries including the Justice Minister and Attorney general of the Federation to achieve the objective.

A member of the committee, Mr Francis Waive who emphatised with the plight of the communities assured that the House would not allow an inch of Nigeria territory to be ceded to Cameroon again.

A representative of the Human Right commission who testified before the committee remarked that Nigerians in the affected communities stood the risk of finding themselves as a stateless people if the matter is not resolved in due course.

A representative of one of the communities, Mr Clement Okon insist that the disputed pillar 113A at the centre of the boundary dispute doesn’t exist just as he accused officials of the national boundary commission and the office of the surveyor general of deliberately going out of their ways to cede their lands to Cameroon to score political goals.

However, the director general of the national boundary commission, Engr Sarkin Auwalu contended that the boundary demarcation was in tandem with the green tree agreement reached between both countries after the ICJ judgement.

He said the fieldwork, which involves the location of the boundary points and placement of boundary pillars by the judgment, was undertaken by a Joint Technical Team (JTT), a sub-body of the Cameroon-Nigeria mixed commission.

Stating that the the commission did not to adjust but only reestablish the boundary, he blamed the situation on the Cross River state government for refusing to cooperate with his outfit on situating pillars 113A appropriately.

Stating that no adherence to the resolution of the cameroon Nigeria mixed commission could portray Nigeria in bad light, he enjoined the Cross River state government to liase with the federal government to address the concerns bordering on farmlands raised by the affected communities.