Ethnic Minority Reaction towards the Unification of the British-Northern Cameroons with the Federation of Nigeria: 1945-1961

This article examines the minority ethnic extractions otherwise (known as ethnic groups), reaction towards the unification in the 1959 and 1961 plebiscites. Sponsored by the United Nations, under the British, mandate for the part of the former British-Northern Cameroons, unification with the Federation of Nigeria, with the aim of ascertaining the reaction of the minority ethnic extraction who, supposedly against the unification of the trust territory, and voted against it in 1959 and 1961 plebiscite and why? The objectives of their reaction were because of what they called ‘oppression of Kanuri and the Fulani rulers’, and another to avoid been involved in the Jihad? This region, inhabited several ethnic extractions, in both ethnic and geographical compositions, considered as a large whole because of its diversity in common historical root. However, it was not possible to discuss all the ethnic extractions of the region, as we are concern with the ‘Chamba and Kaka-Ntem’ ethnic stocks who were said to be against the unifications, as available sources tend to suggest. The territory was quite remarkable with a unique historical occurrence. Therefore, Sources relied on are primary and secondary sources. We may infer that no part of Nigeria that has experienced such a significant historical feel. The finding of this article is not only the 19th-century Jihad added salt to injury, but rule of the Fulani and the Kanuri as were a made to understand. Undoubtedly, the result of which forced some of the minority ethnic extraction to migrate to Cameroon, while others restricted themselves to the mountaintop.