By Tata Mbunwe
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to take urgent diplomatic and security measures to halt alleged incursions by the Cameroon military into Nigerian territory, according to the daily newspaper, Independent.
Parliament reportedly warned that repeated border violations by Cameroonian troops could undermine national sovereignty and heighten insecurity in border communities.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion tabled by Victor Abang, representative of the Boki/Ikom Federal Constituency of Cross River State, one of six Nigerian states that border Cameroon.
The MP raised concerns over what he described as recurring unauthorised entries by Cameroonian troops into communities along the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
He alleged that the latest incident occurred on June 9, 2026, when Cameroon’s elite soldiers, the BIR, crossed into Danare, a border community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, without authorisation.
“The Cameroon armed incursion into Danare, a border community in Boki Local Government of Cross River State, is a breach of territorial sovereignty under international law,” he told Parliament.
“The officers, armed and in full military gear, entered Nigeria’s territory without complying with established international boundary protocols,” he added.
The BIR soldiers’ incursions, he said, left many villagers fearful about their safety and raised fresh concerns over the security of communities situated along the international boundary.
“It is an egregious violation of the tenets of international law for the Cameroonian armed forces to make such incessant unauthorised incursion into the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Abang said.
“Such action offends the principle of territorial sovereignty—a cornerstone of customary international law codified in the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of any state,” he added.
Following the adoption of the motion, the Nigerian Parliament reportedly condemned the alleged incursion into Danare and called on the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic engagement with Cameroon to address the border incidents and prevent further escalation.
The lawmakers also urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to establish a permanent base in Danare to strengthen border security and reassure residents of the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
The parliamentary resolution comes just weeks after Cameroon and Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Yaounde on June 16 to jointly tackle shared security challenges along their over 2,000-kilometre border, which stretches from the Gulf of Guinea to the Lake Chad Basin.
The two countries face common security issues that include the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern border regions and separatist tensions in the South East.
Both armies have been cooperating through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to combat Boko Haram and other armed groups in the Lake Chad Basin region.
However, concerns remain about unclear border demarcations along the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsular, a once disputed area that was ceded to Cameroon by the International Court of Justice in 2002.
The crisis brought both countries to the brink of war before it was promptly settled with the signing of the Green Tree Accord. However, concerns linger over boundary demarcation, security patrols, and the protection of border communities in the Peninsular.