Abuja  - Nigeria declared in Abuja Friday that it would not go back on the final handing over of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon on August 14.

The oil-rich peninsula lies at the maritime border between the two countries.

Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, said the final handing over would go on in spite an Abuja court order Thursday, restraining government from going ahead.

"The Thursday court order is not binding on the government. It was not only confusing, but it was an aberration.

The Abuja court Thursday issued an interim injunction stopping the August 14 final ceding of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula, lying at the maritime border between the two countries to Cameroon.

Justice Mohammed Umar had ordered that all parties to the suit filed by some prominent local people of Bakassi to stop the ceding should maintain the status quo.

In October 2002, the International Court of Justice at The Hague ruled that Bakassi belonged to Cameroon and should be ceded to it.

On June 12 2006, Nigeria signed the "Green Tree" agreement with Cameroon in New York stating that Cameroon would assume full sovereignty over the peninsula on August 14. (dpa)