Reps To FG: Halt Cameroonian Military Incursions Into Nigeria

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…Ask FG To Summon S/African Envoy Over Killing Of Nigerians

ABUJA – The House of Representatives on Thurs­day urged the Federal Government to take urgent diplomatic and security measures to halt alleged incursions by Cameroonian military personnel into Nigerian territory, warning that repeat­ed border violations could undermine the country’s sovereignty and heighten insecurity in affected border communi­ties.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Boki/Ikom Federal Constituency of Cross River State, Victor Abang, who raised concerns over what he described as recurring unauthorised entries by Cameroonian troops into communities along the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

Presenting the motion, Abang alleged that the latest incident occurred on June 9, 2026, when armed Cameroonian soldiers crossed into Danare, a border commu­nity in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, with­out authorisation.

He argued that the action amounted to a violation of Ni­geria’s territorial integrity and international law.

According to him, “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.”

The lawmaker told the House that residents were thrown into panic after several Cameroonian military personnel, armed and dressed in combat gear, allegedly entered Nigerian territory with­out observing established inter­national boundary protocols.

“The officers, armed and in full military gear, entered Nige­ria’s territory without complying with established international boundary protocols,” he said.

Abang noted that the incident left many residents fearful about their safety and raised fresh concerns over the security of communities situated along the international boundary.

According to him, “The pres­ence of foreign military person­nel sparked widespread alarm and panic among locals and left our people traumatised, who feared for their safety and ques­tioned the security implications of the breach.”

He further contended that the alleged repeated cross-border incursions violated established principles of international law governing the sovereignty of states.

“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. 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 said.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House condemned the alleged incursion into Danare and called on the Federal Govern­ment to intensify diplomatic en­gagement with the government of Cameroon to address the recurring border incidents and prevent a further escalation of tensions.

The lawmakers also urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to estab­lish a permanent Forward Oper­ating Base in the Danare axis to strengthen border security and reassure residents of the govern­ment’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

In addition, the House called for the implementation of the report of its Ad Hoc Committee on the Nigeria-Cameroon border crisis and mandated its Commit­tees on Defence and National Se­curity to ensure compliance with the resolutions and report back for further legislative action.

Nigeria and Cameroon share an international border stretch­ing approximately 1,700 kilome­tres across Cross River, Taraba, Adamawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Borno states. Although the two countries resolved their long-standing dispute over the Bakassi Peninsula following the 2002 judgment of the Internation­al Court of Justice and the sub­sequent Green Tree Agreement, concerns over boundary demar­cation, security patrols and the protection of border communi­ties have persisted.

Communities along the fron­tier have, over the years, reported incidents involving cross-border movements, harassment and security-related disputes, high­lighting the need for sustained diplomatic engagement, effective border management and stron­ger security presence in vulner­able areas. The House’s latest res­olution reflects growing concern among lawmakers over the need to safeguard Nigeria’s territori­al integrity while maintaining peaceful bilateral relations with its neighbour.

Reps Ask FG To Summon S/African Envoy Over Killing Of Nigerians

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, on Thursday, called for a tougher diplomatic response to renewed xenopho­bic attacks in South Africa, urging the Federal Government to summon the country’s High Commissioner to Abuja and re­view bilateral relations until Ni­gerians are guaranteed adequate protection.

The resolutions followed re­newed reports of killings involv­ing Nigerians in South Africa, in­cluding one who allegedly died in police custody and another who was murdered outside his busi­ness premises, prompting law­makers to describe the attacks as evidence of the persistent insecurity facing foreign nation­als despite repeated diplomatic engagements between both coun­tries.

The decisions were reached after the House adopted a mo­tion of urgent public importance sponsored by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) during plenary.

Moving the motion, Gagdi condemned what he described as recurring xenophobic attacks, extrajudicial killings, unlawful detention and systematic perse­cution of Nigerians and other Af­rican nationals in South Africa, warning that the latest incidents reflected a worsening security situation for foreign residents.

He said recent reports indicat­ed a fresh escalation of attacks against Nigerians, as well as citi­zens of Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zam­bia, Mozambique, Malawi and other African countries legally residing in South Africa.

The lawmaker noted that the Nigerian government had recent­ly confirmed the deaths of two Nigerians, including one who reportedly died while in the cus­tody of the South African police and another who was allegedly murdered outside his business premises.

According to him, the inci­dents demonstrate that Nigeri­ans remain vulnerable despite repeated assurances by the South African government that foreign nationals would be protected.

Recalling Nigeria’s pivotal role in the anti-apartheid strug­gle, Gagdi said successive Nige­rian governments committed enormous diplomatic, financial and humanitarian resources to South Africa’s liberation in pursuit of the ideals of African solidarity and freedom.

“It is therefore profoundly disturbing that Nigerians and other Africans are now facing persecution, humiliation and vi­olent attacks in the very country whose freedom Nigeria helped to secure,” he said.

Arguing that diplomatic assurances from Pretoria had failed to stem the violence, Gagdi said: “Xenophobic violence has become recurrent, systematic and increasingly deadly. The re­peated attacks have continued despite previous assurances by the government of South Africa that adequate measures would be taken to guarantee the safety of foreign nationals.

“Innocent Africans continue to lose their lives while criminal perpetrators often escape justice, thereby encouraging impunity.

“The continued attacks un­dermine the ideals of African unity, Pan-Africanism, regional integration and peaceful coex­istence upon which the African Union was founded.”

He warned that failure to de­cisively address the attacks could further endanger the lives and property of Nigerians living in South Africa.

“Continued inaction may embolden perpetrators and weaken confidence in region­al institutions established to protect African citizens. These recurring attacks threaten diplomatic relations, economic cooperation and continental integration.

“The continued killing of Ni­gerians abroad without adequate accountability diminishes confi­dence in the collective commit­ment of African states to uphold human rights, justice and the rule of law,” he added.

Contributing to the debate, co-sponsor of the motion, Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo), recalled that the House had adopted a sim­ilar motion on May 5, following which the Federal Government facilitated the voluntary evacu­ation of hundreds of Nigerians from South Africa.

He said about 856 of nearly 1,000 Nigerians who registered for evacuation had already re­turned home, arguing that the latest killings showed that South Africa’s security agencies had failed in their responsibility to protect foreign nationals.

“We have engaged diplomat­ically, but it looks like Nigeria is being undermined. This is no longer a time for endless discus­sions. Other African countries are already taking decisive steps. Nigeria must also act,” Osawaru said.

He proposed that Nigeria suspend political, diplomatic and parliamentary engagements with South Africa, including trade, investment and economic diplomacy, until concrete mea­sures were taken to halt the at­tacks.

However, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presid­ed over the session, cautioned against taking such a far-reach­ing decision without first estab­lishing the facts through a proper investigation.

“We cannot suspend diplo­matic relations now until we carry out our investigation and establish the facts,” Kalu said.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Gov­ernment to immediately sum­mon the South African High Commissioner to provide a comprehensive explanation on the recent killings and clarify Pretoria’s official position on the protection of Nigerian citizens and other African nationals.

It also called for a comprehen­sive review of bilateral engage­ments with South Africa and, where necessary, the suspension or recalibration of specific areas of cooperation until credible, measurable and verifiable guar­antees are provided for the pro­tection of Nigerians and other African nationals.

The lawmakers further urged the Federal Government to de­mand an independent, transpar­ent, impartial and international­ly monitored investigation into the deaths of the affected Nige­rians and other African victims to ensure that all perpetrators are identified, prosecuted and punished.

They also called for stronger engagement with the African Union, the Southern African De­velopment Community (SADC), the United Nations and the Afri­can Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to strengthen pro­tection mechanisms for African nationals living in South Africa.

In addition, the House sought enhanced consular services, legal assistance, emergency evacuation arrangements and reintegration programmes for affected Nigerians, while urging that victims receive appropriate compensation to enable them re­build their lives upon returning home.

The House thereafter ob­served a minute’s silence in honour of Nigerians and other African nationals killed in xe­nophobic attacks, underscoring lawmakers’ call for urgent dip­lomatic intervention and stron­ger protection for citizens living abroad.