C’River national park arrests 17 miners over encroachment

Seventeen artisan miners have been apprehended in Nigeria's Cross River State for allegedly encroaching on protected areas within the Cross River National Park. The arrests were carried out by the park's Special Anti-Poaching Squad, targeting individuals from the Ekuri Eyenyen and Etara communities in the Etung Local Government Area. Joseph Ntui, the Conservator of Parks, stated that the operation followed actionable intelligence. He emphasized that the national park is a prohibited zone where activities like mining, hunting, and logging are strictly forbidden. Ntui warned that the miners' actions have severe consequences for security, the economy, land degradation, and public health, noting that water sources in surrounding areas are already polluted. Adding a layer of complexity, Ntui alleged that mining licenses for operations within the national park are being issued by the Mining Cadastre Office in Abuja and the Federal Mines Office in Calabar. He deemed this unacceptable, as it violates both the National Park Service Act and the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act. Preliminary statements suggest the arrested miners were hired by Ekpo Mbang Eno, reportedly a member of the Cross River State Anti-Illegal Mining Committee. In response, the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Effiom-Ekaha Otu, acknowledged awareness of B4LIVE, a company registered by Eno and licensed by the federal government. He suggested that the license might overlap into reserved areas, cautioning against labeling the miners as illegal without further investigation. Otu indicated that the Cadastral Office in Abuja should be held accountable for such oversights. Checks confirmed B4Live Integrated Services holds a small-scale mining lease in the area, with the Federal Mines Officer noting that such overlaps are not uncommon.

“

The park is a prohibited area. Activities such as mining, hunting, logging, farm encroachment, water poisoning and a host of other activities are prohibited within the National Park.