The police in Cross River State yesterday said six residents of Danare community in Boki Local Government Area were shot by gendarmes from Bodam community during an encroachment into the Nigerian territory by Cameroonians.
Commissioner of Police Hafiz Inuwa confirmed the attack in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.
He said the Cameroonian community, Bodam, on the border with Nigeria’s Boki Local Government Area had been in crisis with Danare community over the international land dispute between the two countries.
Inuwa said after visiting Danare community that no life was lost in the attack and that six residents were shot by the Cameroonians.
“We found out that six persons were shot and they are currently in the hospital as the pellets were being removed from their bodies.
“They were shot by the people of Bodam village from Cameroon. We have advised the people to restore normalcy and shun all forms of crisis and allow the government to take charge.
“They told us that they were preparing to repel the attack because the Cameroonians had encroached almost 43km into their land,” he said.
The commissioner said Danare residents were appealing to the government to restore electricity, drinking water, communication and the police post in the area.
Dr Itam Abang, the member representing Boki I in the House of Assembly, told NAN that over 1,000 cocoa, plantain and banana farms were destroyed by the Cameroonians.
Itam said majority of residents were farmers and appealed to the Federal Government to intervene by providing the people with adequate security and social amenities.
