Nigerian Court Seeks to Block Handover of Oil Region

The Nigerian Federal High Court has ordered the country’s government to halt the transfer of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon until it hears a case filed by community leaders opposed to the handover of the oil-rich region. The court order follows an application by eight prominent residents of Bakassi, who are seeking $3.87 billion in compensation from the Nigerian federal government before the transfer. Nigeria is due to handover the peninsula to Cameroon in compliance with a 2002 ruling by the International Court of Justice. [PE]