Panic gripped the Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State on Wednesday after more than 200 armed Cameroonian soldiers reportedly crossed into Nigerian territory without formal border clearance .
The heavily armed officers entered the community in the early hours of the day, causing residents to flee their homes amid fears of a potential security crisis . According to sources, the troops moved through residential areas during heavy rain before being confronted by local youths and women who accused them of encroaching on Nigerian soil .
Videos circulating on social media showed scores of residents challenging the soldiers, who reportedly fired several warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd . The troops were also heard warning locals against recording their activities .
A former Vice Chairman of Boki Local Government Area, Hon. Kingsley Mbia, reportedly intervened, confronting the foreign personnel and cautioning them against violating Nigeria’s territorial integrity . His intervention helped de-escalate tensions and prevented immediate confrontation .
This is not an isolated incident. Danare and other border communities have experienced similar incursions since 2017, when Cameroonian forces crossed into Nigeria while chasing separatist fighters from Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis . In 2017, six residents of Danare were shot by Cameroonian gendarmes during an invasion .
The Nigeria-Cameroon border has remained porous, with tensions partly stemming from the 2008 handover of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon following an International Court of Justice ruling .
Official response
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Major Yemi Sokoya, said the military was aware and would issue an official statement after reviewing the situation .
The Chairman of Boki Local Government Area, Mrs. Beatrice Etta Nyiam, confirmed receiving reports and assured residents that relevant security agencies were handling the matter, urging calm .
Community leaders are now calling on the Federal Government to strengthen surveillance along the border and deploy more security personnel to prevent future incursions .
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