(b)
intervene, determine and deal with any boundary dispute that may arise
among States, Local Government areas or communities in the
Federation with a view to settling the disputes;
(c)
define, and delimitate boundaries between States, Local Government
Areas or communities in the Federation and between Nigeria and her
neighbours in accordance with delimitation instrument or document
established for that purpose;
In light of the above provision, the responsibility to settle, demarcate and
determine the true ownership of the boundary in dispute lies on the National
Boundary Commission of the Defendant. It is a matter essentially within the
domestic jurisdiction of the Defendant to determine which people, part or
place belong to any of its components parts. The Court will be a busy- body
to delve into such matters bearing in mind Article 2 (7) of the UN Charter,
which recognizes matters of this nature as being within the “reserved
domain” which international law has no competence to deal with. This Court’s
jurisdiction interlia covers violation of human rights within ECOWAS Member
State and not to determine the boundaries of component entries,
communities and ethnic groups residing within the territorial boundaries of
Member States. There is a clear distinction between an interstate communal
conflict and self-determination of a people. Communal conflicts as a result of
land demarcation is often triggered by aggrieved group of indigenes who
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