Tension flared in Danare community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, on Wednesday after armed Cameroonian soldiers reportedly crossed into the area, sparking a confrontation with local residents who accused them of encroaching on Nigerian territory.
Videos circulating on social media showed scores of youths and women challenging the heavily armed troops, who were alleged to have claimed that the community falls within Cameroonian jurisdiction.
The situation nearly degenerated into violence as the soldiers reportedly fired several warning shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Witnesses said more than 50 Cameroonian soldiers, armed with sophisticated weapons, advanced into the community, prompting residents to block their movement and demand their immediate withdrawal.
Residents also alleged that the foreign troops warned locals against recording their activities.
Confirming the incident, former Cross River State House of Assembly member, Cletus Obun, who represented the constituency, described the development as part of a recurring pattern of incursions by Cameroonian forces into border communities in the state.
According to Obun, the soldiers fired repeatedly near a Catholic Church in Danare I along the road leading to Budam after local youths resisted their movement deeper into the community.
He attributed the persistent border tensions to what he described as inadequate security presence on the Nigerian side, alleging that Cameroon has continued to challenge aspects of the United Nations-backed border demarcation following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the Bakassi Peninsula.
“Were it not for the vigilance of local youths, Cameroon would have occupied Danare,” Obun said, recalling a similar incident that occurred in 2013 during the implementation of the ICJ judgment.
He further lamented that repeated appeals by community leaders, including former Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, for increased security deployment along the border had received little attention.
Reacting to the development, the spokesman of the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Major Yemi Sokoya, said the military was aware of the incident and would issue an official statement after assessing the situation.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Boki Local Government Area, Mrs. Beatrice Etta Nyiam, confirmed receiving reports of the alleged unauthorized entry of Cameroonian military personnel into Danare.
She assured residents that security agencies and relevant government authorities were addressing the matter and urged the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions in the border community.
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