The police in Cross River on Monday said that six residents of Danare community in Boki Local Government Area were shot by gendarmes from Bodam community during an invasion on the Nigerian territory by Cameroonians.
Mr Hafiz Inuwa, the Commissioner of Police, made the disclosure in an interview in Calabar.
He said that Bodam, on the border with Nigeria’s Boki Local Government Area, had been in crisis with Danare community over the international land dispute.
Inuwa said that although no life was lost, six residents of Danare community 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 further explained that the Danare people were appealing to the government to restore electricity, drinking water, communication and police post in the area.
Dr Itam Abang, the member representing Boki I State Constituency in Cross River House of Assembly, disclosed that over 1,000 cocoa, plantain and banana farms were also destroyed by the Cameroonians.
Itam said majority of residents in the area were mainly farmers and appealed to the Federal Government to intervene by providing the people with adequate security and social amenities.