More Than 200 Cameroonian Soldiers Enter Danare Community in Cross River as Locals Demand Government Action

Fear has gripped residents of the Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State after more than 200 heavily armed Cameroonian security personnel reportedly crossed into Nigerian territory without formal border clearance on Wednesday.

The unauthorized incursion, which occurred in the early hours of June 10, 2026, sent hundreds of villagers fleeing their homes as word spread that foreign military officers were moving through the community. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with families grabbing children and running toward nearby bushes and neighboring villages amid fears that the situation could escalate into a full blown security crisis.

The heavily armed Cameroonian officers, dressed in full military uniform and carrying a range of weapons, entered the border community without adhering to established international boundary protocols. Local sources said the sudden arrival of such a large contingent of armed foreign officers created panic and confusion, particularly given the area’s history of cross-border security challenges.

A former Vice Chairman of Boki Local Government Area, Honorable Kingsley Mbia, was said to have intervened during the incident, confronting the foreign security personnel and cautioning them against actions capable of violating Nigeria’s territorial integrity. Witnesses said Mbia expressed strong concerns over the unauthorized entry of armed foreign military personnel into Nigerian soil, describing the action as a violation of internationally recognized boundary regulations.

You cannot just walk into another country with weapons without proper clearance. The sovereignty of Nigerian communities must be respected at all times, Mbia was quoted as telling the Cameroonian officers. Any unauthorized military entry into our territory is unacceptable and capable of creating unnecessary tension among peaceful residents.

Residents described the development as deeply disturbing, noting that the presence of such a large number of armed foreign officers raised serious questions about border security and the protection of local communities. Many feared that the operation could be linked to the ongoing separatist crisis in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, a conflict that has forced thousands of people to seek refuge in neighboring Cross River communities.

The Nigeria-Cameroon border has long been a flashpoint for territorial disputes, with communities like Danare repeatedly caught in the middle. Since 2017, there have been multiple reported incursions by Cameroonian forces into Nigerian territory, often while chasing separatist fighters from Cameroon’s restive Anglophone regions. In 2017, six residents of Danare were shot by Cameroonian gendarmes during an invasion, and in 2018, more than 80 Cameroonian soldiers crossed the international boundary and abducted five natives.

The recurrence of such incidents has drawn diplomatic attention and prompted reactions from Nigerian lawmakers. In 2023, the House of Representatives moved to halt plans that would have led to the ceding of over 10,000 hectares of Nigerian land, including parts of Danare and Biajua communities, to Cameroon following a flawed boundary demarcation that ignored Pillar 113A, a recognized colonial boundary marker separating Nigeria and Cameroon.

More recently, in March 2025, the Nigerian Senate constituted an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged illegal annexation of Nigerian mangrove islands and maritime territories by Cameroon, with lawmakers raising alarm over the economic loss of more than 2,560 oil wells and gas revenues that ought to accrue to Nigeria. The Senate urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to protect Nigeria’s territorial interests.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Nigerian Army, the Federal Government, or the Cross River State Government regarding the reported incursion. Community leaders have called on security authorities to strengthen surveillance around the border and reassure residents of their safety, warning that repeated unauthorized movements by foreign troops could heighten tensions in already vulnerable communities.

On social media, the incident has sparked a storm of reactions from Nigerians demanding answers.

In a civilized country this is a violation of state sovereignty under international law and requires immediate sanctions, one user wrote. Another expressed frustration with the government’s perceived inaction, saying, What we might think is bravery can actually turn out to be stupidity telling a soldier you will video him and he will not do anything. Cameroonian soldiers are naturally not friendly. They can waste you, and our government will not do anything but issue a press release with an apology.

Some users warned against confronting Cameroonian soldiers directly, with one noting that in Cameroon, recording military activities is strictly prohibited. Others questioned Nigeria’s border security more broadly, with one comment stating,

When it comes to war, all I know is Nigeria is not safe because there is no proper border patrol control. They walk freely into the country. What if they kill people and leave?.

VIDEO: Fear has gripped residents of the Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State after Cameroonian soldiers reportedly entered their village Whick is a Nigerian 🇳🇬territory pic.twitter.com/73vD6sIJsH

— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) June 10, 2026

Despite the tension, calm was reportedly restored following Mbia’s intervention, and residents returned to their normal activities under close observation of local authorities. However, community leaders warned that the psychological impact of seeing more than 200 armed foreign soldiers marching through their village would linger, and they urged the federal government to take proactive measures to prevent future occurrences.

The incident has revived painful memories for Danare residents, who have seen their community turned into an unofficial corridor for Cameroonian military operations over the past decade. In 2018, a Reuters report documented that Cameroonian gendarmes crossed into Danare while seeking separatist fighters, a pattern that appears to be repeating.

As night fell on Wednesday, the Danare community remained on edge. No Nigerian security forces had been deployed to the area, and residents said they felt abandoned by a government that seemed more interested in issuing statements than in protecting its own borders. “We are Nigerians,” one resident told a local reporter. “But today, we felt like we were in Cameroon. And no one came to tell us otherwise”.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Bandits Invade Kogi School, Gun Down Vice Principal, Abduct Students as Nigeria’s Security Crisis Worsens Under Tinubu

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