Tony Ene Asuquo

Chief Tony Ene Asuquo (1966 – August 22, 2006 near Calabar, Cross River State) was a leader of the

Bakassi Movement for Self-Determination The Bakassi Movement for Self-Determination (BAMOSD) is a militant organization that seeks for the independence of Bakassi, a territory of Cameroon and formation of the Democratic Republic of Bakassi. The movement played a leading role in the Baka ...

, which seeks for the independence of

Bakassi Bakassi is a peninsula on the Gulf of Guinea. It lies between the Cross River estuary, near the city of Calabar and the Rio del Ray estuary on the east. It is governed by Cameroon, following the transfer of sovereignty from neighbouring Niger ...

. He came to international knowledge after his group announced its intention on August 6, 2006, to seek the independence of Bakassi from Nigeria, which had recently lost an

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

case over the territory to Cameroon and was preparing, under then-president

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its pres ...

, to hand over control of the territory to the Cameroonian military per the Greentree Agreement. Prior to his death, Ene challenged the Green Tree Agreement in a

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

case which listed him alongside 6 others - Chief Orok Eneyo, Chief Emmanuel Effiong Etene, Ndabu Eyo Umo Nakanda, Emmanuel Okokon Asuquo, Ita Okon Nyong, and Richard Ekpenyong - as plaintiffs. The court case was won by the plaintiffs, but the federal government of Nigeria refused to recognize the judgment. Ene died on August 22, 2006 en route to Calabar in a car accident in which 21 people, including Ene, died; he was travelling the Calabar-Itu road to petition to the state government of Cross Rivers for the release of Richard Ekpenyong, who was being detained by the State Security Service on the orders of then-governor Donald Duke. 2006 deaths 1966 births Nigerian politicians Road incident deaths in Nigeria {{Nigeria-politician-stub