The True Face Of The Boje–Nsadop Incident: A Response From The Nsadop Youth Assembly.

 

The Nsadop Youth Assembly has followed with deep concern the recent narratives circulating on Boki blogs regarding the movement of soldiers into our forest. It is important that the people of Boki, the Cross River State Government, and the wider public hear directly from us, the community being accused.

Unexplained Military Presence in Nsadop Forest; On more than one occasion, soldiers from the Nigerian Army stationed at Onitsha Farm, a peacekeeping mission far from Nsadop, abandoned their duty post and entered our forest without prior notice to our chiefs or community leaders.

The first time, our farmers noticed their presence but did not raise an alarm, believing it was a mistake. The second time, however, more than twenty soldiers entered the same farm road. Our youth president, accompanied by village youths, approached them politely to ask the purpose of their presence. Instead of dialogue, some of our youths were molested.

We must state clearly: whatever security concerns arise from such unannounced visits are planted, not discovered. The presence of soldiers deep inside our forest raises more questions than answers, and unfortunately, these actions give room for misrepresentation of Nsadop.

 Nsadop’s Consistent Commitment to Peace; Nsadop has for years suffered unfair abuse and intimidation from neighbours, yet we have never wavered from our commitment to peace. Our elders, chiefs, and leaders consistently preach the importance of restraint. We are a farming community focused on the renewed growth agenda in agriculture, not on violence.

We reject in totality the claim that we are harbouring “bad boys” or creating routes for criminals. These accusations are fabrications designed to discredit us. Nsadop does not profit from illegal timber trade or forest exploitation; those who point fingers should first account for the known timber theft activities tied to Boje elements.

The Real Issue: Boundary Demarcation

It is no secret that the boundary demarcation exercise, scheduled to begin soon, is the real issue at stake. Communities that fear losing land or influence are deliberately attempting to create confusion. By inviting soldiers into Nsadop territory and manipulating narratives on social media, they hope to frustrate the demarcation process. But the truth remains: Nsadop is not opposed to lawful demarcation. We welcome it, provided it is carried out transparently and peacefully, under the supervision of the Surveyor General and relevant state and federal authorities.

Call for Restraint and Justice

We call on:

• The State Security Adviser and relevant military authorities to investigate why soldiers left their duty post at Onitsha Farm to enter Nsadop forest without official communication.

• The elders of Boki nation to prevail on Boje youths to stop misrepresenting facts and to avoid dragging innocent neighbours into conflict.

• The Cross River State Government to ensure the boundary demarcation proceeds as planned, without intimidation or misinformation.

Conclusion

Nsadop is a peace-loving farming community. We will not be bullied, and we will not surrender the inheritance passed to us by our ancestors through intimidation or manipulation. We appeal for calm, for justice, and for the truth to prevail.

We stand ready to cooperate with the government, elders, and all peace-loving communities to ensure that this boundary issue is resolved once and for all, in a fair and peaceful manner.

God bless Nsadop. God bless the Boki nation.

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