The Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, said six residents of Danare community were shot by some Cameroonian gendarme from Bodam community during an invasion into the Nigerian territory by the Cameroonians.
No reason was given for the invasion but locals said they were shocked at the unprovoked attack by the gendarmes. Danare is in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State but the community has been the hotbed of crisis between Nigerians and Cameroonians over boundary dispute.
Crisis in the boundary communities in Boki LGA of Nigeria started after the United Nations re-adjusted boundaries of 25 kilometres deep in favour of Cameroon. This was as a result of the inability to trace two key boundary posts (pillar 113 A and 114A) that were erected in 1913.
Leaders of Boki LG claimed that the UN was unfair to them as some of their land totaling about 20 communities had been ceded to Cameroon.
Locals said the latest crisis which started on Friday was as a result of the alarm raised by residents of Danare that their Cameroonian neighbour had encroached their farmland more than 40 kilometres deep.
Inuwa said that the Cameroonian community, `Bodam’ which borders Nigeria in Boki LGA had been in crisis with Danare community over the international land dispute. The police said nobody died in the attack and urged internal vigilance among the people.
